Islamic Religious Education in the Netherlands

This chapter starts with a brief elaboration of church–state relations in the Netherlands and the presence of the Muslim community in the country. Subsequently, the Dutch education system is explained: in accordance with freedom of education, education is not the sole prerogative of the state, but also of private (religious) institutions. As a result, education is divided into different “pillars”: in addition to the “neutral” governmental schools, there are also Roman Catholic, Protestant Christian, and “other” non-governmental schools – including Islamic schools – which are all funded by the state. Following this model, IRE is organised in different ways, ranging from “impartial” education about Islam in the primary school subject Spiritual Movements to education in Islam in Islamic schools. These different ways of organising IRE are scrutinised, with particular attention to IRE in Islamic primary schools. Stimulated by recent controversies and pedagogical innovations, the chapter ends with some recent trends and initiatives for improvement.