Education About Islam in Danish State Schools

The teaching of Islam in Scandinavia

“…While national conservatives proclaim that the subject should be obligatory for all children for the same reason, pupils can be exempted from the subject due to legislation on religious freedom. Yet, in reality only a low number -1.3% -are exempted from participating in the weekly hour of the subject (Buchardt & Enemark 2021). A smaller qualitative study found that Muslim parents whose children had been exempted had often been concerned that their children would be taught about Islam by school teachers with little knowledge of the Islamic faith (Holm Pedersen 2014).…”

“…A smaller qualitative study found that Muslim parents whose children had been exempted had often been concerned that their children would be taught about Islam by school teachers with little knowledge of the Islamic faith (Holm Pedersen 2014). Studies also show that some teachers of 'Christianity', especially in schools with a larger proportion of Muslim children, choose to include the teaching of Islam and other religions before the seventh grade in an attempt to be inclusive of their Muslim pupils (Gilliam 2019;Buchardt & Enemark 2021).…”

“…In the remaining three years of the school, Islam is taught alongside Judaism and Buddhism, in limited periods of the scheduled hours, and primarily as a means of comparison to Christianity. This subject is often taught by teachers without a specialisation in Knowledge of Christianity but even those who have this specialisation only have very limited professional education in the non-Christian religions (Gilliam & Kühle 2014;Gilliam 2014;Buchardt & Enemark 2021). The Christian focus of the subject is underlined by the fact that in the seventh or eighth grade, the time scheduled for the subject is switched into confirmation lessons organised by and taught in the local churches, and the remaining pupils have the time off.…”

“…Studies of textbooks and teaching in the subject Knowledge of Christianity syllabus in Danish schools show that whereas Christianity is described as heterogeneous, changing over time, personal, and a religion of love and faith, Islam is generally depicted as homogenous, ahistorical, and impersonal, governed by rules and related to conflicts and radicalism, as well as foreign to Denmark (Sedgwick 2014;Kudal 2015;Kjeldsen 2016;Gilliam 2017;Buchardt & Enemark 2021). Studies also demonstrate that pupils of Muslim background are expected to be religious and are thus often called upon to explain or represent Islam in lessons on Islam (Buchardt 2010;Pedersen 2014).…”

“…Some of the present free schools have been founded by religious minorities, but many rather adhere to a specific pedagogical idea. Since 1980, groups of Muslim parents have used this possibility to open either Muslim free schools, schools catering to Arabic-speaking children, or schools for children of specific ethnic groups where Islam is taught in more or less confessional ways, often in a subject called 'Religion' (Ihle 2007;Shakoor 2008;Buchardt & Enemark 2021). Like private schools which exist alongside free schools, free schools in Denmark are partly subsidised by the state, currently at 75% of the cost of pupils in the state schools.…”