The Investigation of a Secular State's Approach to 'Religious Education': a Case Study of Islamic Education in Ghana

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Assistant Professor in al-Mustafa International University; Former Dean of Islamic University of Ghana (2014-2019)

Abstract

The strong return of religion to the social arena in recent years has tied the future of secular states to their "ability to manage facing with the religious people"; some secular states have considered offering the "religious teachings" as the best path to peaceful coexistence of the religious people, and some introduce these teachings as an obstacle for modernity, which causes the emergence of disagreements and disintegration of the society. The general judgment about the condition of religious education in secular countries is wrong, and there is no way other than case study of countries in this regard. The main question in this study is as follows: “How is teaching religious, and especially Islamic teachings, in Ghana in the West Africa as one of the pioneers in providing "religious education" by the secular state? The research method is analytical-descriptive and the necessary information has been gathered mainly through library research and field study. According to research findings, the Ghanaian government has chosen a path between "education about commitment" and "education from commitment" to provide religious education. In addition, the government is trying to free religious schools and religious centers within certain frameworks and structures. Knowing the approaches and educational policies of this country will bring about an active role in the field of religious education to achieve the international goals of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Keywords

References

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