Need for an Islamic High School

As Muslims, we face a lot of challenges in our daily lives. Unfortunately, our children face more than we think or are aware of sometimes. There are a lot of dangers to their identities as Muslims including the systemic erosion of religious ideology/beliefs, the forced acceptance of non-Islamic ideas such as individuality instead of familial kinship, the corrosion of character and akhlaq, and peer pressure to participate in haram (drugs, drinking, mixed gender gatherings, etc). These, and more, are the reason for the growing rate of atheism among our youth. Therefore, it is paramount that our children have a solid foundation on which to stand and defend their Islamic identity.

Unfortunately, we lack an Islamic High School, which is where peer pressure and corrosion of character are highest. With more and more pressures and ideas being propagated in the media and forced upon our children in public schools, it is high time that we have a flexible, feasible, and powerful curriculum that supports the building of an Islamic character in each and every student. 

Therefore, as concerned members of this community, we’ve weighed the options and are proposing a hybrid model of Islamic High School. In this model, students will gather in a physical classroom setting and attend classes online taught by a qualified Muslim teacher from alhudaglobalschool.org. They will have another teacher physically present to ensure all students are listening and understanding the concepts being taught. They will be helped where needed. 

Common concerns

When we discuss Islamic schools, we are generally concerned about:

• Quality of Education: The curriculum that will be taught is purchased and highly rated. It is a curriculum that is accredited by MSA-CESS (Middle-States Association / Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools). This accreditation is recognized globally. 
• Cost: Compared to other formats, this hybrid format will be more economical as there will be less overhead cost for qualified staff. 
• Hybrid format: yes, it is correct that students will be taking classes online and thus they may miss out on larger social settings. However, students will still gather in a classroom setting giving them the opportunity to interact with one another and form bonds. Furthermore, they will also have class projects and a PE period to play sports which will ensure sufficient social interaction. Also, as they prepare for higher education, they will find that many universities will offer most, if not all, of their courses online. Thus, this model will serve as a preparatory phase for their higher education. 

Proposal

Format

Students will have a weekly schedule of online classes taught live by qualified Muslim teachers. Each student will be physically present in their classrooms, with headphones and personal mics listening to the instruction on their laptops. If they have any questions or concerns the onsite teacher will be able to guide the student through the topic. After each session, they will have a 10 minute break to relax. They will have time for lunch and to pray dhuhr together. Sample schedule as follows: