Madrasah students can pursue higher religious education at new Islamic college

Madrasah students wishing to pursue higher religious education will have the opportunity to do so in Singapore through a new Islamic college, where they will learn how these teachings can be applied in the country's context, said Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli.

- Zhaki Abdullah

The Singapore College of Islamic Studies (SCIS) does not intend to compete with thousand-year-old institutions such as Al-Qarawiyyin in Morocco, he said on Nov 13, noting that it is instead aimed at teaching religious knowledge through the perspective of Singapore's multiracial, multi-religious society.

The college, which will open in 2028, will also provide aspiring asatizah, or religious teachers, with a more affordable alternative to pursuing their religious studies overseas, said Mr Masagos, who is also Minister for Social and Family Development.

Singapore's full-time madrasah system currently teaches students only up to the pre-university level, with an average of about 120 madrasah graduates pursuing further Islamic studies overseas each year.

Those who go to foreign institutions have to undergo a mandatory one-year postgraduate course upon returning, to apply what they have learnt overseas to the Singapore context.

Describing the college as a "long-standing aspiration of the Muslim community" here, Mr Masagos said SCIS can contribute to developing a body of knowledge that can help provide religious guidance to Muslims living as a minority in secular societies.

This is something religious scholars from other institutions have said is essential, he added, speaking to reporters at Parliament House.