Forum: Let’s keep religious education outside of school

I refer to the recent letter by Irwan Jamil, “Consider structured religious education to counter extreme narratives online” (June 29). I disagree with his suggestion to reintroduce some form of religious education at mainstream schools.

Currently, Singapore’s secondary school students take eight to nine subjects, including mother tongue languages, humanities, design and technology, food and consumer education, along with physical education, art and even music.

With extra classes and co-curricular activities already scheduled after regular classroom hours, an additional subject could leave schools, teachers and students overwhelmed.

I also believe that Character and Citizenship Education, which is taught from primary to pre-university levels, is more than sufficient to address objectives highlighted by the writer such as social cohesion and national security.

These lessons cover topics like cyberwellness, education and career guidance, family education, mental health and national education. My son, who is in Secondary 1, said global events like the Israel-Hamas conflict and Russia-Ukraine war are also discussed.

Finally, I believe that religious education is best left to religious institutions. The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, for instance, holds weekly aLIVE (Learning Islamic Values Everyday) classes at mosques islandwide. These classes are tailored for those aged five to 20.

For those of other faiths, there are various programmes and classes conducted for all ages through their temples, churches and pre-schools.

Let’s not overburden the mainstream curriculum, which is already heavily packed. Instead, children can participate in established religious frameworks outside of school.

Muhammad Dzul Azhan Sahban