Beyond Academic Excellence:

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1 Islamic Education Trust, Nigeria 2013 Beyond Academic Excellence: Life Skills and Extra-mural Courses for Students of New Horizons College (IBERR / AMS UK 2013) Over the past years Muslims in many parts of Nigeria have woken up to the need to establish Islamically-oriented independent (private) schools at nursery, primary and secondary levels where children can get the best of modern education and Islamic orientation. This write-up is a humble effort to help proprietors and Head Teachers of such schools to develop a curriculum that gives the children the best start in life. It is also meant for parents of students in New Horizons College, associations of Muslim Schools in all parts of the world and members of IBERR (International Board for Educational Research and Resources) with whom we work hand in hand at the international level. The first few years of a new school are not easy, and proprietors and administrators have much to do to get competent and stable staff, to handle finances, to equip the school, to get approval from the Ministry of Education and to face the National examinations. At the same time Muslim proprietors and staff need to take a number of decisions in answer to the question What makes an Islamic school Islamic? Proprietors and parents have many different answers to this question. For some, what they want is just Islamic Studies, Arabic and Qur'anic recitation, plus the National Curriculum. Some parents also want their children not only to read the whole Qur'an with tajwid but also to memorize it. Others would like the medium of communication in the school to be Arabic. The school eventually faces reality and decides on how to balance the wishes of Muslim parents and the demands of the National Curriculum. However, on the basis of our practical experience, the availability of Islamic Studies, Arabic Language and Qur'anic recitation does not make an Islamic school Islamic unless the school is lucky enough to have really charismatic teachers who can bring the subjects to life. Unfortunately such teachers are rare, and for most students Islamic Studies is just another subject 3 Page 1 IBERR

2 2012 Islamic Education Trust, Nigeria that is not considered very important for West African Examination Council (WAEC) exams or university admission. Very few students opt for Arabic Language for WAEC. It is hard to pass and is soon forgotten when a student leaves school, and Qur'anic mallams (i.e. traditional local teachers) do not usually teach the meaning of the Qur'an in English or in vernacular. Due to this scanty and superficial Islamic teaching there is little behavioural difference between the graduate of a secular school and the graduate of a so-called Islamic school. It is against this background that New Horizons College in Minna set up an Islamic Orientation Board to look more closely into what makes an Islamic school Islamic? The Board, drawn from proprietors, school management, selected school staff and selected staff of the Islamic Education Trust, looked into the entire student experience within the school, from the call for Fajr prayer and throughout the day until lights out in the night. A school that is predominately boarding has several advantages since there is time for many activities in the evenings and at weekends and more opportunity to monitor and counsel boarders in terms of conduct, attitudes, personal problems and spiritual matters. Over the past 10 years the College has gradually introduced a good number of programmes that are not part of the National Curriculum but are in many ways even more important than many of the subjects in the curriculum, which are often quickly forgotten as soon as West African Examination Council (WAEC) exams are out of the way and students focus on their university academic priorities. Each programme adopted by New Horizons College is designed to help the student to grow and think and act as Muslims. Some of the programmes are designed to draw deeper meaning from subjects or topics that are normally taught from a secular perspective in accordance with the National Curriculum. Some programmes are taught as part of the regular daily classes. Some replace the usual time-table. Some are conducted in the afternoons or at weekends. Over the 6 - year stay of students in New Horizons College they are expected to experience each of the following courses, programmes and Page 2

3 Islamic Education Trust, Nigeria 2013 TRAINING COURSES/WORKSHOPS FOR TEACHERS Islam and Dialogue for Peaceful Co-existence Teachers and others wishing to take this course for da'wah or teaching purposes should apply to the Director of DIN (Da'wah Institute of Nigeria), Islamic Education Trust, P.M.B. 229, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria; Courses are organized at various times of the year at different levels. Islamic Perspectives and Other Courses If any school wishes to adopt Islamic Perspectives or any of the other courses mentioned, it should contact the Principal, New Horizons College, P.O. Box 3066, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria; The College from time to time receives small groups for discussion, training and observation of the courses in action. There is a modest fee for accommodation, feeding and workshops. Page 3 IBERR

4 2013 Islamic Education Trust, Nigeria COURSES SECTION 1: SECONDARY LEVEL 1. Self-discovery Adventure (Junior Secondary Students) 2. World Geography (JSS 2) (1 period per week) 3. World History (JSS 2, JSS 3, SS 1, SS 2) (1 period per week) 4. Islamic Perspectives (JSS 2, JSS 3, SS 1, SS 2) (Juniors 2 periods, Seniors 1 period per week) 5. Public Speaking (JSS 2, JSS 3) (1 period per week) 6. Islam and Dialogue for Peaceful Co-existence (Senior Secondary 1 and 2) (2 whole days for each class at the beginning of each term). 7. Personal development and Leadership (Seniors) 8. a) Girl Talk (SS 2&3 Girls) b) Guys' Gist (SS 2& 3 Boys) 9. Spouse Selection in Islam: (SS 3 Boys & Girls) 10. Business and Islamic Financial Literacy (SS 1 and SS 2) 11. Career Counselling (SS 1 and SS 2) 12. The Six Thinking Hats (SS 1 and SS 2) 13. Prefects Training Activities 14. Qur'anic Arabic (SS 1 and SS 2) 15. Nasihah (Good Advice) (all students) 16. Mind your Manners (all students) SUMMARY OF PROGRAMMES 1. Self-Discovery Adventure (JSS) This course, designed for students in the Junior Secondary classes, teaches skills and principles for achieving a high level of effectiveness in all aspects of life. The students are introduced to the concepts of 'planting deep roots', deliberate and planned habit formation and visual goal setting. They are also provided with practical hints on character building. Page 4

5 The aim of the course is to: awaken the students' minds to the influence that they are capable of wielding over their lives; inspire them to make wiser and more fulfilling choices on a regular basis. 2. World Geography (JSS 2) (One period per week for 1 year) In JSS 2 the students begin World History. The course covers: Stars, galaxies, the Big Bang, the Sun, the Solar system, Planets, the Earth, Seasons and Climate, Water cycle, Oxygen Cycle, Surface of the earth, continents, oceans and seas, political maps, globes, countries and capital cities. The course then turns to visual understanding of climate and its effects on the land, vegetation, animals and human habitation, and lastly climate change. Students taking this course need to have some basic knowledge of World Geography. Source Materials: Planet Earth, State of the Planet by David Altenbrough, An Inconvenient Truth by Al-Gore (all DVD s). 3. World History (JSS 2, JSS 3, SS 1, SS 2) (One period per week for 4 years) Islamic Education Trust, Nigeria 2013 This course is intended to fill a great gap in the National Syllabus. It begins with the Stone Age and the great civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, India, the Mediterranean, Meso-America, and the Muslim world and modern world history. Source materials: The Complete Book of the World History. American Educational Publishing. ISBN plus assorted DVD's on civilizations of the past. 4. Islamic Perspectives (JSS 1, JSS 2, JSS 3, SS 1, SS 2) 3Page 5 IBERR

6 2013 Islamic Education Trust, Nigeria (Juniors twice a week, Seniors once a week) Islamic Perspectives is a course devised by New Horizons College and developed over the past 8 years. The College realised that implementing Islamization of Knowledge (as proposed by some Muslim scholars since the World Conferences on Islamic Education in the 1970's and 1980's) would not be feasible or practical in the current secular educational environment. Instead of replacing the secular system, the College has introduced a parallel Islamic approach to knowledge. Students therefore learn and fully understand the secular approach to the sciences and other fields of study, but also, under the guidance of a separate teacher, they explore the subjects from an Islamic perspective and thereby enrich their understanding of the subjects and develop a greater appreciation of Allah's creation and His bounties to mankind. Islamic Perspectives also covers a Muslim's way of thinking and his/her manners and conduct in accordance with the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Source books and DVD's are as follows: JSS 1: JSS 2: JSS 3: SS 1: SS 2: Islamic Manners and Social Conduct by B. Aisha Lemu, Abdullahi Orire and Asiya Rodrigo (available at Ilmi Bookshop, IET Minna). Wonders of Allah's Creation: Books and DVD's by Harun Yahya in Turkey and Islamic Bookshops in the U.K. Steps on the Right Path: Selected Hadith on Moral behaviour and other topics Selected by B. Aisha Lemu and Adama Alhassan Dolley (available at Ilmi Bookshop, I.E.T. Minna) For Men of Understanding: Further material on Allah's creation, animal behaviour, water cycle, nitrogen cycle. (Ref. Book & DVD, Harun Yahya in Turkey, and Islamic bookshops in the U.K.) Islam the Natural Way: How to live and think as a Muslim in Page 6

7 relation to family, community, work place, nation, ummah, people of other religions. address for Harun Yahya books in the U.K. Ta Ha Publishers ( sales@taha.co.uk) address for Islam the Natural Way in the U.K. MELS Publishers ( orders@melspublications.com) Note: Teachers may draw on the materials used by New Horizons College in teaching these courses but need not follow the New Horizons model strictly. In fact, it would be better if teachers pick what they like and leave out what they are not enthusiastic about. Teachers should choose topics that theyare passionate about because in order for Islamic Perspectives to retain its vivacity, it must be teacher inspired and student centred. Teachers need to be flexible about what topics to teach. It is advisable if possible to give copies of the Harun Yahya books to students due to the richness of the illustrations and text. Influencial Movies: The following films available on video or DVD are suitable for screening for students at weekends or any convenient time: Page 7 Junior Level: Islamic Education Trust, Nigeria The Message (a moving portrayal of the life of Prophet Muhammad from his Call to Prophethood until he died). 2. Adam's World: A Sesame Street for Muslims. 3. Lion of the Desert (the story of Umar Mukhtar and his struggle to defend his country against colonial occupation). 4. Pathways to Islam (three young Muslim men narrate their journey to Islam). 5. Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet. (A documentary on the impact of the Prophet s message on modern Muslims in America.) IBERR

8 2013 Islamic Education Trust, Nigeria Senior Level: 1. Malcolm X: The story of his life and how he found Islam. 2. Hotel Rwanda: A film based on the historical events revealing people's behaviour during the Rwandan genocide. The story raises moral issues. 3. To kill a Mockingbird: A film about a lawyer's defense of a black man wrongly accused of a crime in the deep South of the USA. 4. Kingdom of Heaven: A glimpse of the Crusades and the wisdom and courage of Saladin (Salahuddin). 5. Public Speaking (JSS 2 and JSS 3) This course concentrates on building confidence in the students and empowering them with the essential skills and resources for making effective public presentations. The course covers everything from overcoming public speaking phobia to voice projection, body language, preparation, how to present to different audiences, the use of visual aids and great tips on how to make effective, memorable presentations. It also lays a firm foundation for debating. The confidence built by this course has a tremendous impact on the self-esteem of the students. 6. Islam and Dialogue for Peaceful Co-existence (SS 1 and SS 2) At the beginning of each term 2 days are set aside for SS 1 and SS 2 students to do this course. The topics treated are often those controversial ones that are not taught in the Islamic Studies syllabus and are commonly misunderstood by Muslims and non-muslims alike. The course also includes the issue of extremism. The aim is for the students to understand the issues concerned, and the various interpretations of the scholars, to draw their own conclusions and be able to correct Muslims or non-muslims who have misconceptions about Islam. Page 8

9 Islamic Education Trust, Nigeria 2013 (Teachers and others wishing to take this course for da'wah or educational purposes should apply to the Director of DIN (Da'wah Institute of Nigeria), Islamic Education Trust, to be included in its training programmes. Training materials will be provided for trainees which can later serve as resource materials when conducting the course in a school.) 7. Personal Development and Leadership Course (Seniors) This course teaches skills and principles for achieving a high level of effectiveness in all areas of life. It aims to provide practical guidelines for attaining effectiveness in all aspects of life through self-mastery (channeling energies in the best direction; attaining full emotional maturity; maintaining optimism and personal discipline.); ëxplore essential skills for living with and leading others (Skillful communication, creating an Everyone can win environment and creative co-operation). When it was first conducted for New Horizons College students, it lasted for just about three hours. In order to enable students absorb it deeply and have sufficient time to apply what they are taught and be mentored accordingly, it was later designed to last for about two and a half sessions. In its current form, the first part begins in SS 1 and ends in SS 3. It can be compressed into shorter periods if necessary. 8. Pre-Marital Counseling (Girl Talk/Guy Gist) (SS 2 & 3 Girls / SS 2 & 3 Boys) As students approach the end of their secondary school education, there is a lot of pressure on them to decide which higher institution to apply to and how to choose a course of study. However, there is very little attention given to the pressures that come with life in the higher institutions, a place where there is almost absolute freedom. Page 9 IBERR

10 2013 Islamic Education Trust, Nigeria During this course, the facilitators address thorny and sensitive issues such as handling interaction with members of the opposite gender, making informed choices about avoiding or starting relationships, dealing with issues relating to drugs, cults, etc. and navigating the pressure-filled world of academics. The facilitators use anecdotes, stories from true life experiences, practical examples and exercises, and short drama skits. The facilitators' casual and down-to-earth manner encourages the students to ask questions freely and share their thoughts. At the end of the two part course, the students often leave equipped with tips on how to balance their academic, social and spiritual life in higher institutions. 9. Spouse Selection in Islam (SS 3) This course empowers youth to know the Islamic perspective on various issues related to spouse selection. Topics discussed include the position of Islam on personal choice and arranged marriages, investigating a proposed match, dating, medical testing, inter-ethnic/inter-cultural and inter-faith marriages, bridal gifts (mahr/sadaqi) and other wedding rites, family planning, methods of child-bearing, and rights and responsibilities in both monogamous and polygamous marriages. The advice of the Prophet (SAW) to marry for faith and character is explored in-depth, including how these qualities may be reliably identified in a potential spouse. The role of du'a (such as istikhara), systematic evaluation and interpretation of signs in the process of spouse selection is also discussed. Lastly, the course explains the perspective of Islam on marriage as a foundation for the development of a Muslim's faith. 10. Business and Islamic Financial Literacy (SS 1 and 2) Without financial wisdom, money is lost by those who have it. With financial wisdom, money is secured by those who don't have it, in sh' Allah. Page 10

11 The course covers the vital but basic principles of saving, income, increasing streams of income, investing, debt-management, Islamic ethical investments and the importance of halal wealth-building. 11. Career Counselling (SS 1 and 2) Decisions about your career impact on every other thing in your life. How do you go about your choice? Do you have a plan? Students are counseled to think of their strengths, not their weaknesses. Successful people don't try hard to improve what they're bad at; they capitalize on what they're good at. They are persistent. They are ready to be bold and to learn from their mistakes. Truly successful people deploy themselves in the service of something larger than themselves. The course helps youth to leave a legacy. 12. The Six Thinking Hats (SS 1 and 2) The Six Thinking Hats is a thinking tool developed by Edward debono, an internationally acclaimed scholar and thinker. It is a method of assessing ideas, suggestions, problems and issues from different useful perspectives that ensure systematic exploration in the process of decision-making. It minimizes adversarial argument and leads to wise decisions arising from the consideration of all relevant factors. 13. Prefects' Training Activities Islamic Education Trust, Nigeria 2013 As soon as the prefects are appointed, their formal training in leadership, organization and people management starts. Prior to this time, they were asked to shadow the old prefects while the staff observe and guide them. The formal training includes several activities. Gung Ho: A course in team building and team work based on the Page 11 IBERR

12 2013 Islamic Education Trust, Nigeria life styles of some animals created by Allah. 8 Seeds of Leadership: A course which focuses on core principles necessary for effective leadership. Lessons are drawn from hadith, Qur'an and the examples of true life leaders. Team Building and Leadership, Games and Exercises: These are games intended to teach them spirit, trust, communication and camaraderie. Finally, the prefects have a barbecue with the facilitators, hostel staff and some academic staff. The aim of this is to promote bonding between the prefects on the one hand and the prefects and staff on the other hand. These training activities last for about seven hours, though the training for prefects is a continuous process involving the facilitators and key college staff. Adopting a hands-on approach, the training staff reinforce the lessons from the training activities, address problems as they occur, counsel, mentor, give positive redirection and offer personal and spiritual advice as often as possible. 14. Qur'anic Arabic (SS 1 and SS 2) All students in SS 1 and SS 2 take one period per week of Qur'anic Arabic, after having completed 3 years of Arabic Language in Junior Secondary. The subject Qur'anic Arabic empowers students to understand the meaning of their five daily prayers, supplications and recitation of the Qur'an, which they study throughout their stay in the school. Qur'anic Arabic enriches their understanding of the vocabulary of the Qur'an by connecting related words through their linguistic roots. Page 12

GREEN CRESCENT PRIMARY SCHOOL

Green Academy Trust GREEN CRESCENT PRIMARY SCHOOL PROSPECTUS FOR 2010/11 Page 1 of 8 WELCOME TO GREEN CRESCENT PRIMARY SCHOOL PROSPECTUS INFORMATION FOR PARENTS 2010/2011 PRINCIPAL Maulana Abdullah Khan