Islamische Bildung und Erziehung in Kindertageseinrichtungen

Abstract

Interreligious learning or Islamic education in early childhood education offers a unique opportunity to correct mutual preconceptions and help prevent experiences of social or institutional marginalisation at a very early stage, thus facilitating social integration at a later stage. Facing the challenges of an increasingly culturally pluralistic society, concepts of cross-cultural pedagogy were widely debated amongst politicians and academics. However, the role religion played therein was for the most part neglected. In her article, Misbah Arshad argues that, since religion represents a dimension of culture, it must play an integral part in cross-cultural education in day nurseries. Enabling children develop their own religious and cultural identity is a prerequisite for imparting cross-cultural and interreligious knowledge to them. A representative study assessing cross-cultural and interreligious education in day nurseries throughout Germany demonstrated that the curricula issued by the education ministries of the Bundesländer as well as the education objectives formulated therein have hitherto not been implemented effectively. This is, amongst other factors, attributed to a lack of (further) education programmes presenting concepts for an Islamic religious pedagogy in the field of early childhood education, which call for far-reaching improvements by politics and academia alike.