Tahfiz schools fast becoming a popular choice, says lecturer

KUALA LUMPUR: Muslim parents in urban and rural areas are becoming more inclined to sending their children to tahfiz schools as they are confident that these institutions would help form good character.
Head of Universiti Malaya's Department of Educational Foundations and Humanities, Dr Zaharah Hussin said tahfiz students were not only skilled at memorising the Quran but could also excel in professional fields.
"The advantage of tahfiz students over students from normal schools is their character ... they listen to the ustaz and are disciplined in keeping to their daily prayers.
"Tahfiz students are no longer seen as only those who wear the turban or skullcap, but are also part of the professional group and can lead the community."
Zaharah said this in her working paper at a roundtable conference on the development of tahfiz schools in Malaysia organised by the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (Ikim) here yesterday.
She said because of the demand for tahfiz schools, it was proposed that the government introduce it from the nursery or kindergarten level.
Another Bernama report on the same event said the implementation of the Ulul Albab Tahfiz Model (TMUA) under the supervision of the Education Ministry is expected to produce 10,920 students who are able to memorise all 30 chapters of the Quran by 2021.
Head of the ministry's Religious School Development Sector, Hassan Nudin A. Hamid said 15 national religious secondary schools (SMKA) and fully-residential schools selected nationwide would take part in this effort to produce professionals who could memorise the Quran.
"Carrying out this Islamic education model will involve 1,092 tahfiz teachers based on the one teacher to 10 students ratio accepted by the Public Service Department," he said when presenting a working paper titled "Tahfiz School Stream in Malaysia: Contributions, Current Challenges and Potential".
On July 10, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin launched the TMUA Islamic education model, with the pioneer project carried out at SMKA Kedah, SMKA Kuala Lumpur and Sekolah Menengah Agama Persekutuan (SMAP) Bentong.
Hassan Nudin said 45 tahfiz teachers had been placed in the three schools and the ministry planned to employ more than 200 qualified teachers in the field next year to fill the vacancies when more schools adopt the TMUA.
"The education model proves the government's commitment to ensuring students who study to memorise the Quran have the same opportunity as students studying under the normal national school curriculum, to further their studies.
"Students under the TMUA will sit for the ministry's examinations including the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia and this qualification will allow them to enter university at the diploma, matriculation or foundation level in Malaysia or abroad.
"The TMUA will also indirectly provide an alternative to parents who want their children to be a tahfiz but also hold professional posts such as doctor, accountant or engineer," he said.
At the presentation, Hassan Nudin also informed that data from 2011 showed there were 278 registered tahfiz schools nationwide, with 14 of them under the supervision of the federal or state government while the remaining were privately owned. – Bernama