Teaching students about Islam

Our teachers are being taught all about Islam - and how they can teach about Islam to their students.

The 'Learning from one another' program, written by researchers associated with the National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies (NCEIS) at the University of Melbourne, presents a very sympathetic view of Islam.

The NCEIS was set up under the Howard government, in an effort to train Islamic imams in Australia rather than having people come from overseas. However, the Centre promotes Islam in its work and teaching.

The NCEIS is running FREE professional development training workshops for primary and secondary teachers.

They produced a booklet titled "Learning from One Another: Bringing Muslim Perspectives into Australian Schools" which contains lesson plans for many subject areas to promote Islam as moderate and peaceful and the 'inventor' of many things. Two people were responsible for the Resource - one is a Muslim.
The workshops and Resource were first implemented in 2010, but other programs were run prior to that (read more on NCEIS website).

They're now claiming that they have already had teachers from 700 primary and secondary schools receive the 'training'. The workshops are free and morning tea and lunch are provided!

New program - Interfaith

Now the NCEIS has launched a new education program - this one is focused in Interfaith activities and the material is now included in their workshops for teachers.

The resource is called PRACTISING DIVERSITY: Engaging Muslims in Australian Schools. The Powerpoint of the presentation reveals that the workshop highlights a number of schools - public, private, Catholic, Islamic and so on - that have implemented interfaith learning and activities in their teaching..

This isn't the first time the NCEIS has focused on interfaith activities. Back in 2008, a Teachers' resource Kit on 'Multifaith' was published by NCEIS. Titled Understanding the Multifaith Classroom in a Secular Society, the 97 page booklet included information on Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The material on Islam is taken from the book on Muslim Australians that was published at the same time the department of Immigration published the 'Religion, Cultural Diversity and Safeguarding Australia' book in 2004.
Read our report on the three books published in 2004 - click here.

Read Vickie Janson's analysis of the disturbing elements of the 'Learning from One Another' program:
click here. 

The NCEIS resources:

"Learning From One Another: Bringing Muslim perspectives into Australian schools"

Practising Diversity: Engaging Muslims in Australian Schools

Multifaith Classrooms - Resource Kit (2008)