Secular Education Research Articles

Rising authoritarianism and changing education policies of 21st century Turkey

This paper conceptualises rising authoritarianism in Turkey under the conservative ruling party, AKP, and its Sunni-Islamist educational policies. It scrutinises the Islamisation of early childhood and primary-secondary school education during the recent authoritarian turn. The discourse of ‘raising a religious generation’ entails reframing the Turkish secular education system into a Sunni Islam model. The article first situates early childhood, primary, and secondary school policies and discusses five major policy alterations during the contemporary authoritarianism of the AKP: restructured Preacher’s Schools (Imam-Hatip Schools), the 4+4+4 system, cooperation with Islamic sects, implementation of values education, and public Islamic kindergartens.

THE IMPULSES OF MODERNJADIDISM AND THE ROLEOF PRINTING

Jadidism, a reform movement among Muslims of the Russian Empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, played a key role in cultural and educational evolution. One of the main factors that contributed to its development began to be distributed in the form of newspapers, magazines, fiction books, scientific manuals, etc. The purpose of this study is to analyze the role of the press in the development and spread of Jadidism.The scientific originality of the work lies in deepening the understanding of the processes of the cultural revolution among the Turkic-Muslim peoples living on the territory of the Russia n Empire, and the role of the press in these processes. Practical originality lies in the possibility of using the data obtained to develop modern traditions of cultural and educational development of the Turkic peoples.The article uses historical analysis as well as descriptive and sociocultural methods to determine the relationships between technological advances in printing and ideological changes in Jadidism, using print methods such as a literacy measurement tool, the promotion of secular education, and the formation of modern Turkic identity.The study showed that print media are a central mechanism in disseminating Jadidist idea s and establishing the positions of reformers. The analysis found that the use of printed materials significantly accelerated economic development and led to profound changes in socia l development.The results of the study can be used to develop strategies for supporting and developing cultural and educational initiatives , as well as to study contemporary media in the field of socia l movement and progressive trends in other cultural contexts.

Religion and Growth

We use the elements of a macroeconomic production function—physical capital, human capital, labor, and technology—together with standard growth models to frame the role of religion in economic growth. Unifying a growing literature, we argue that religion can enhance or impinge upon economic growth through all four elements because it shapes individual preferences, societal norms, and institutions. Religion affects physical capital accumulation by influencing thrift and financial development. It affects human capital through both religious and secular education. It affects population and labor by influencing work effort, fertility, and the demographic transition. And it affects total factor productivity by constraining or unleashing technological change and through rituals, legal institutions, political economy, and conflict. Synthesizing a disjoint literature in this way opens many interesting directions for future research. (JEL E22, I25, J10, N30, O33, O43, Z12)

Общественно-политические установки молодого поколения дагестанцев: через призму исламского вероучения (по результатам социологического опроса)

At the initial stage of the religious revival, the activity of confessional institutions was somewhat passive, but now it is being intensified, which is expressed in the expansion of the space of influence of religious figures, the orientation of the population to simultaneously receive religious and secular education, and the introduction of a large layer of the population with religious knowledge. The article puts forward the hypothesis about the increasing role of traditional faiths and religious institutions in the social processes of modern Russian society. Consequently, the study of the religious component, in this context of the Islamic factor, from the standpoint of forecasting and assessing its role in modern Dagestan society, acquires special significance, because it will allow us to outline the trajectory of development of state-confessional relations, develop effective religious policies and provisions that do not violate the secular nature of the state devices of Russia. The perception and assessment of Islamic teachings in the socio-political life of the republic by the younger generation of Dagestanis is analyzed. The analysis shows the dominance in the mass consciousness of Dagestan youth that the position on the state structure is based on Islamic teachings; the author assumes that the younger generation lacks the understanding of the essence and specifics of government based on Muslim postulates. The surveyed Dagestan youth are consistent in their positions and in resolving controversial issues in a variety of social spheres (economic activity, land dispute between owners, family conflict, domestic violence, etc.), according to the Sharia court, which has acquired greater authority in everyday life population of Dagestan. In the mass consciousness of the younger generation of the republic, there is a priority of Muslim teaching and the designation of its special status, which is a destructive phenomenon, because it can create religious intolerance and destabilize Dagestan society. The younger generation of Dagestanis associates the function of religious teaching in public life with the dissemination of the fundamentals of religion and religious morality, spiritual and moral education and charity.

The Glories of Scripturally Informed Natural Law in Secular Education

The Glories of Scripturally Informed Natural Law in Secular Education

Education as spectacle: Helen Keller and the impossible performance of blindness at the Perkins Institution

ABSTRACT This article takes as its point of departure an incident in which Helen Keller was accused of plagiarising a short story while residing at the Perkins Institution for the Blind: the so-called “Frost King” incident. Keller’s guilt or innocence is not the subject of my inquiry. Rather, how did the culture of Perkins – as fostered by its first two directors, Samuel Gridley Howe and Michael Anagnos – help create the conditions for the incident to transpire? I consider this question in light of the visibility of Perkins as an institution in 1892. From its inception, Perkins courted the public, both to raise funds and to garner sympathy more generally for blind students. This meant that the directors were acutely sensitive to the power of public opinion to affect the health of the institution. Caught between Perkins’s administrators and the public were the students themselves. More broadly, this article seeks to historicise the Perkins Institution, as a product of nineteenth-century American progress, specifically the project of universal, secular education, tinged with Protestant perfectibility. At the same time, it both imbibed and trafficked in Romantic tropes of blind exceptionalism: that at least some blind individuals were possessed of prophetic, inner vision.

חינוך, CHINUCH: ISRAEL’S EDUCATION SYSTEM AND QUESTIONS OF IDENTITY

Albeit in a different context, Wiesel’s soliloquy resonates with the pressing questions on the formation of identity, and contingent quest for meaning for many Jews. Indeed, what are the right questions to ask the divine, in as much as the divine seems to be indifferent to the indignation suffered by Jews, especially when it comes to the memory of the Shoah (?) The space to ask such questions sets itself in the rigmarole of the everyday, and ties in with notions of belonging and memory. These concepts are thus linked to the theme of religion in global politics, exemplified in the curious case of Israel. Prior to its establishment in 1948, the founders of Israel often applied religious justifications for its creation and subsequent existence, with a ‘return to homeland’ among the oft-heard sentiments. The purposes of this paper are varied. The first is to understand the character of Israel through the theoretical framework provided by Rogers Brubaker in his ‘Four Approaches to Nationalism’, with a focus on how nationalism itself can be argued as a form of religion. Secondly, we will look at the justifications to why secular education – as an extension on nationalism as religion – has taken root in Israel. We proceed with an argument that the removal of religious knowledge (primarily ethics) from the Israeli education system will prove to be detrimental in the long run, as the relationship between individuals will thus be determined purely in the language of capital, and ‘success’ as defined by market forces, which runs counter to genuine solidarity.

Postmodernism Challenges for Muslim Schools and Universities in Malaysia: The Role of AI Pedagogical Integration into Islamic Education

In today’s rapidly changing world, postmodern civilization has been accused of undermining traditional, religious universal values and socio-economic inequality. The intersection of Islamic philosophy and secular education creates profound tension, as Islamic teachings on justice, equality and religious principles often clash with Western secular values, leading to issues such as incompetent graduates, LGBTQ disorder, and over- capitalism conflicts. Schools and universities also grapple with significant challenges like zero hands-on skills, large class sizes, lack of resources, and student behavioral ongoing issues, which impede effective teaching and learning. Additionally, non-inclusive students, especially those with disabilities or from minority ethnic backgrounds, face bullying, discrimination and difficulty accessing resources, exacerbating their isolation and hindering academic performance. This study utilized a qualitative research methodology grounded in the researchers’ nearly twenty years of teaching experience at private universities across Malaysia, including at UNITAR Malaysia, Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT), the Management and Science University (MSU), and Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TARUC). The research was informed by direct classroom engagement, a mentoring program, and involvement in academic events administration, offering deep insights into student challenges and enriching data collection. The methodology included providing motivational support and counseling to students with special needs and those underperforming. A critical, reflexive approach was adopted to address potential biases, and results were verified through member-checking and triangulation. This comprehensive approach enabled a thorough exploration of the Malaysian educational context, identifying challenges and themes, yet providing a robust framework for understanding student experiences and pedagogical strategies. The study is structured into four sections: methodology, challenges in Malaysia’s educational system, the incorporation of Qur’anic metaphysics in tertiary education, and the application of interactive AI-pedagogy technologies. The study revealed practical recommendations for educators, policy makers, and researchers, aiming to bridge the gap between Islamic principles and secular educational practices. Using Malaysia as a case study, the research explores the potential of a holistic approach to Islamic education in addressing the postmodern and post-pandemic challenges by Muslim society. It is worth noting that the study is specifically focused on Muslim education in Malaysia. Therefore, its findings may not be generalizable to other Muslim countries or societies. Nevertheless, the research is expected to provide a profound perspective on addressing postmodernism challenges in the Muslim pedagogical world.

The Role of Education in Promoting Empowerment as Agency in the Lives of Women and Girls in Somaliland

This article draws on 100 qualitative interviews with young women who participated in a girls’ education programme known as SOMGEP (Somali Girls Education Programme). The underpinning research sought to explore the impact of SOMGEP education on and for the later life outcomes of the participating girls now women. Researchers were able to revisit former SOMGEP students 7 years after the end of the programme. The findings made links between higher levels of educational attendance and attainment and its positive impact on agency. What also emerged was the ways in which the expression of agency is hampered by wider contextual factors that often act as a backlash to the transformative potential of a secular education.

Sex education and religion - resistance and possibilities

ABSTRACT Starting with the question of why there is so much religiously motivated resistance against compulsory sex education, this article explores and discusses entanglements of norms about sexuality, gender, and religion in education. Based on predominantly Swedish data, the aim of the paper is to offer perspectives on connections between religiosity and discourses about sexuality. The first part centres around religious resistance against compulsory sex education. The second part draws on phenomenology of religions to explore roots for this religiously motivated resistance. In the third part, the perspective is reversed, discussing how and why secular education dismisses religious perspectives and values. The conclusion is that awareness of how arguments are based on differing presumptions about religion offers opportunities for dialogue, and that considering human existence as vulnerable, interdependent, and responsible might be a valuable religious contribution to sex education.

ESENSI PENDIDIKAN AGAMA ISLAM DALAM MEWUJUDKAN KESEHATAN MENTAL SISWI MA AL-WASHOYA NGORO JOMBANG JAWA TIMUR

Islamic religious education is at the same time faith education and charity education. And because Islamic teachings contain teachings about people's personal attitudes and behavior towards a prosperous life. In a historical-sociological context, Islamic education is defined as religious or Islamic education or teaching (al-tarbiyah al-diniyah, ta'lim al-din, al-ta'lim al-dini and al-ta'lim al-islami). in the context of tarbiyah al-Muslimin (educating Muslims), until completion. and differentiate it from secular education. The aim of Islamic religious education is to shape the nation's next generation into people who understand religion and can practice it well and correctly. Mental health is a state of well-being in individuals who realize their potential, are able to cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and are able to make a contribution to their community. Mental health refers to how individuals are able to adapt and interact well. Mental health is always linearly related to human life span, therefore mental health is very important, especially for students who are focused on gaining knowledge, therefore the understanding and example of an educator is very necessary for students in maintaining and realizing mental health. The focus of this research includes: The essence of Islamic religious education in realizing mental health. This type of research uses case studies which aim to find out something comprehensively. This research includes field research by analyzing several things related to the nature of Islamic religious education in realizing mental health, by ensuring that children can apply the Islamic religious education learning they have received properly and correctly. Based on research, it was found that the results of the nature of Islamic religious education in realizing mental health: 1) Can be realized by learning Islamic religious education which is applied in everyday life 2) Religious activities are provided in schools and encouraged. through collaboration between the Principal, teachers and students in educating and developing children so that they run well, are active and conducive. So that it creates mental health in humans, the souls of female students and they are able to look after them well because they are equipped with this religion. 3) Female students understand how to realize and maintain good and correct mental health.

Сара Шакулова: новые штрихи к биографии

The name of Sarah Kasymovna Shakulova, the daughter of an honorary citizen of Kasimov, is widely known. Having received brilliant mathematical education, Shakulova’s outstanding career, successful work in the field of education, and active life position have been adequately reflected in historical works. However, her personal century-old documents have not been researched in women’s history. These are the formular and biographical questionnaire discovered by us in the funds of the State Archive of the Russian Federation, which are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time in this article. They are weighty sources about important biographical markers of Tatar ‘Sophia Kovalevskaya’ and her relatives. The answers “from the first person” recorded the difficulties that stood in the way of the “other faith” in professional work in the field of education. The content of the submitted documents sheds light on the material component of the teacher's work at the end of the politically turbulent 1910s and at the beginning of the formation of secular education in the young Soviet state. Written by the hand of an outstanding woman, these documents are important historical artifacts of the national culture of the Tatars. In addition, the presented documents complement the source base on the problem of studying the processes of women’s emancipation in the early twentieth century and their high need to acquire societal status.

The American Haskalah: Sanctifying Education in Mary Antin’s The Promised Land, Abraham Cahan’s The Rise of David Levinsky, and Anzia Yezierska’s Bread Givers

Abstract Much has been written about European Jews’ attitudes toward secular studies. The Jewish Enlightenment, which began in Europe in the early eighteenth century, caused some Jews to broaden their knowledge by learning subjects such as geography and science. However, most Eastern European Jews remained loyal to the rabbinical authority. When many immigrated to the United States during the Progressive Era, they had to choose between maintaining the old approach toward secular education and learning secular subjects. Analyzing three Jewish immigrant texts, Mary Antin’s The Promised Land (1912), Abraham Levinsky’s The Rise of David Levinsky (1917), and Anzia Yezierska’s Bread Givers (1925), this essay argues that these books present Eastern European Jewish immigrants as treating secular education similar to the European maskilim. Exploring Biblical allusions and imagery used to portray Torah learning, this paper determines that these texts sanctify nonreligious studies. Following a centuries-old heritage of learning, they glorify the knowledge obtained in American institutions. Although the protagonists feel they are betraying their tradition, they participate in establishing a Jewish American culture based on the value of studying. While these texts often praise American education, they portray a clash between American and traditional Jewish education, suggesting that disavowing one’s traditional education is challenging.

Assembly of Experts of the Islamic Republic of Iran: Socio-Demographic and Political Recruitment Factors (1983-2024)

Assembly of Experts of the Islamic Republic of Iran: Socio-Demographic and Political Recruitment Factors (1983-2024)

The History of Postmodernism and Its Impact on Muslim Lifestyle in Malaysia

This article aims to explore the history of postmodernism and its impact on Muslim lifestyles in Malaysia. The emergence of postmodernism is inevitable in the Muslim world due to daily interaction among cultures, religions, and ideologies through various mediums of communication. The notions of scepticism, subjectivism or relativism, and suspicion of reason nurture postmodernist way of thinking and reasoning. Then, it jeopardises the absolute sources of the Islamic way of life specifically the Quran and Hadith. One pertinent question is how does postmodernism affect the lifestyle of Muslims? Primary and secondary data are needed to be collected to answer the question and achieve the aims of this article. Thus, methods of data collection were documentation on the history of postmodernism, and observation on social media regarding the lifestyle of Muslims in Malaysia. The collected data were analysed using comparative, deductive, and inductive analyses. Findings exhibit that the system of secular education and social media exposed Muslim society in Malaysia to the postmodernism lifestyle that jeopardised Islamic teaching. Modern lifestyle demands Muslim society to discard traditional ways of thinking based on religion, and nurture stressful minds and soul. In conclusion, empowering the Islamic education in promoting an Islamic lifestyle is pivotal to nurturing healthy mind and soul in the postmodernism era.

A Critique of the Turkish Education System During the Early Republic Period (1923-1943) Based on Syed Ahmet Arvasi’s Idea

States established as nation-states in the 19th and 20th centuries have used education to defend their principles of existence and legitimacy. In this context, the Republic of Turkey, founded on the ruins of the Ottoman Empire, has made great efforts to transform its people into a modern nation-state. The most important tool of the state in this effort has undoubtedly been education. Since the basis of the republican ideology is secularism, the basic building block in education has also been secularism. The education system has been the most important part of secular modernization and the construction of a new national identity. New and secular values that form the national identity have been transferred and transmitted to new generations through education. In this context, education policies have been under the influence of the new regime for a long time since the founding of the republic. This study has drawn from Syed Ahmed Arvasi’s ideas in analyzing the historical development of education in Turkey, and identified that problems such as moral corruption, anarchy, lack of national consciousness, and lack of personality in today's society are closely associated with the secular education policies of the Republican period. In moving forward, the study supports Arvasi’s idea of educating the younger generation according to the principles of Turkish-Islamic culture. Future studies may explore further the viability of Arvasi’s ideas and how they can be implemented in the formal system of education in Turkey

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE IVOLGINSKY DATSAN IN PRESERVING THE TRADITIONS OF THE BUDDHIST ART OF BURYATIA

The article considers the role of the Ivolginskydatsan in the preserva-tion of the artistic traditions of the Buryat Buddhist art. The samples of the significant works of tanka, sculpture, decorative and applied crafts, found in the datsan, are given. The data collected during the practical training of the students of East Siberian state institute of culture engaged in painting decora-tive details of the main temple under construction are presented. The actuality of the search for new artistic solutions in creating the appearance of the main Buddhist Buryat temple; the perspectives of interaction of the religious insti-tions with those of secular education and different creative professional com-munities are noted.

Behavioral consequences of religious schooling

I investigate how long-term exposure to religious schooling affects economic behavior of children. To identify the effect of religious schooling, I study residential schools for orphans in Bangladesh that differ in terms of religious curriculum and social environment, limit transmission of beliefs and preferences from parents to children following being orphaned, make social learning by children limited after school enrollment, and mitigate issues concerning endogenous school choice by parents. Using a lab-in-the-field experiment in this school setting, I measure children’s behavior and find that (i) children receiving religious education are more altruistic and honest relative to children receiving secular education; (ii) religious schooling does not affect risk aversion, cooperation, trust, and trustworthiness of children; and, (iii) behavioral differences are driven by children who are around puberty and have completed primary education. These findings provide useful insights into how long-term exposure to religious schooling can affect behavior – possibly by shifting preferences – during childhood and adolescence.

Breast cancer mortality among ultra-orthodox and non-ultra-orthodox Israeli women: A retrospective cohort study

BackgroundBreast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Israeli women. Previous studies found socioeconomic status and other risk factors impact breast cancer outcomes. The ultra-orthodox community is characterized by a longer life expectancy, lower rates of mammography performance, higher fertility rates and other sociodemographic variables that may be related to breast cancer mortality. This study examined disparities in breast cancer mortality between ultra-Orthodox and non-ultra-Orthodox Israeli women. MethodsThis retrospective cohort study for breast cancer mortality included the all Jewish Israeli citizens women born between 1940 and 1960 and lived in communities with over 20,000 residents (n = 628,617). Data was collected from various sources, monitoring a period of 31 years; for each participants, their sociodemographic characteristics were compiled from the population registry, the tax authority, the education registry, and the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Variables included religiosity, age, marital status, children, origin, education, and income. Multivariable Cox models evaluated predictors of mortality. ResultsOf the 628,617 women in the study, 29,611 were ultra-Orthodox. Ultra-Orthodox women had higher marriage rates, more children, and lower secular education and income. Mortality was 108.8/100,000 overall, lower among ultra-Orthodox (83.4/100,000) than non-ultra-Orthodox women (110.1/100,000) despite their risk factors. Using a multivariate model to evaluate the association between ultra-Orthodoxy and breast cancer mortality, the study found higher breast cancer mortality rate among non-ultra-Orthodox women compared to ultra-Orthodox women (HR = 1.491; 99% CI = 1.232, 1.804). Associations with sociodemographic variables were different for each group. ConclusionsAlthough ultra-Orthodox women have socioeconomic risk factors, breast cancer mortality was lower than non-ultra-Orthodox women. Further research on potential cultural and religious factors influencing mortality is warranted. These findings highlight the importance of evaluating predictors within specific populations.

Hıstory Educatıon between the Major Reforms in Bulgarıan Educatıon 1948 – 2002

History as a school subject has been present in the curricula ever since the establishment of the Bulgarian secular education, and over the years the study of history began to be given more and more importance in our educational system. Society‘s perceived need to acquire knowledge about the past is the only opportunity to better understand the present and anticipate the historical perspective. The radical changes that occurred in Bulgarian society in the second half of the 20th century led to the establishment of a completely new kind of educational system, built on the Soviet model as comprehensive and universally accessible, but at the same time politically burdened with the forcibly imposed new moral and ideological conjuncture. This process was most clearly visible in the arts, among which the discipline of History suffered particularly hard the long-term defeat of its ideologizing and outright falsification. The proposed research examines the political justification of the main historical concepts studied during the period of socialism, the development of the methodology of teaching history in schools between the reforms in 1948, 1959, 1968 and the follow-up of the situation after the end of the totalitarian regime in 1989 until the reform in 2002.