For the FPö, Islamic religious education is increasingly becoming a “black box” educational policy “.” When teachers come from abroad and there are, according to non-democratic principles, this is not only a problem with educational policy, but also a danger of security policy, “warned spokesman Hermann Brückl of the education.
According to the Islamic religious community (IgGö), the number of Muslim students has increased by a third to 104,000 in the last ten years. The need for Islam teachers is accordingly high. Only with specialized employees who have been trained in Austria cannot be covered. At federal schools, almost a third of the 207 teachers completed their training abroad, the answer to a parliamentary request from the FPö shows of the educational department.
According to Iggö there are currently 501 Islam teachers in the mandatory schools, more than half are women. It can be assumed that a comparable large part has completed its training outside Austria, it was said on request. According to the reaction, this was often in Turkey with the federal teachers.
Iggö: many “fully socialized in Austria”
In the IgGö you defend yourself against such attributions. The possibility of having recognized foreign studies in Austria must also be taken into account with religious teachers without any form of political devaluation, ”emphasized Carla Amina Baghajati, head of the Iggö School Office. In general, it is generally in principle aimed at the society of this in Austria.
Where necessary, Islam teachers would also be further trained in the Austrian educational situation at Church Educational University (KPH) Vienna/Lower Austria. Sometimes this is also a mandatory requirement of the hearing for potential teachers, in which the Iggö also investigates the respective understanding of Islam. According to Baghajati, the most important criterion for admission is that a lesson for the reality of the students in Austria can be designed. And in their assessment, people who have been partially trained abroad can also offer these access – even if the school practice in Austria is a bonus in the admission procedure as part of the training.
Sejdini: Austrian context is missing
In this question, Zekirija Sejdini, professor of Islam in the contemporary company at the University of Vienna and founder of the Institute for Islamic Theology and Religious Education at the University of Innsbruck is skeptical. “Islam teachers who are not trained in Austria should only be used if no people are trained in Austria, and can only be found until a person who has been trained in Austria,” the expert emphasized. Ad Hoc is of course not only to meet graduates from Austria, he said the Iggö assessment.
Sejdini spoke against parcel judges about the teacher training of Islam abroad. In general, however, teachers who have been trained abroad are “for various reasons, mainly due to the lack of knowledge of the Austrian context, but also the school context in particular, not suitable for teaching in Austria”. Educational institutions and religious centers also existed abroad with a strong conservative concept of Islam – their graduates would probably take over.
For Sejdini it is crucial for the training in this country that reflects religion from an Austrian-European perspective that promotes critical thinking and is always inter-religious. The exclusively German spreading doctrine helps accelerate the “housing process” of Islam and the Muslim community in Austria. Of course, even in democratically written societies or institutions, one cannot exclude enlightened understanding of Islam “that individuals represent conservatively to look backwards”.
Own training in Austria only since 1998
In Austria, the Islamic religious academy was founded alone for Islam teachers in Austria in 1998, and many teachers from Turkey were brought in. Since 2006 there have been a studies for Islam teachers at the University of Vienna, since 2014 at the University of Innsbruck and since 2016 in KPH Vienna/Lower Austria.
However, a large part of the Muslim students are not achieved by Islam teachers. In Vienna, according to the city, almost 40 percent of Islamic religious training, which often takes place in the afternoon or at another school location, was written in Vienna. In the other federal states, according to an estimate by Ednan Aslan, professor of Islamic religious education, it should be even more in the “profile” because of the poorer availability. Some Muslim parents also prefer lessons in their own mosque and language of origin.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
