Skills framework for Islamic teachers

Islamic religious teachers here will have a skills framework to give them access to relevant job sectors, after suggestions by a committee formed to guide their development have been accepted.

The recommendations also include a talent development programme to groom exceptional teachers, or asatizah, to be leaders in institutions. A common salary guideline for the more than 4,800 asatizah here has also been proposed.

The Committee on Future Asatizah (Cofa) released its recommendations yesterday. The suggestions come after nine months of research and engagement with more than 1,900 people.

Established in March last year, the 15-member committee is chaired by Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs Maliki Osman.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli said he has accepted the recommendations.

He said: "The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) will continue to work with Cofa and the asatizah sector to implement these recommendations, so that our asatizah can continue to play a crucial role as leaders, professionals and role models for Muslims in our multicultural and contemporary society."

The development of the asatizah was raised in Parliament last year by MPs during the debate on the budget for the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.

Dr Maliki said Cofa's recommendations will help future religious teachers function as leaders and exemplary professionals, so that they can effectively guide Muslims here and help ensure peace and harmony will continue to prevail.

"Our asatizah's key roles as leaders, professionals and role models are vital for the well-being, success and cohesiveness of our Muslim community and the larger Singapore society," he said.

But the asatizah will need to be able to complement religious knowledge with an understanding of contemporary issues and fields, Dr Maliki noted.

They will have to continue playing an active role in helping the Muslim community deal with future issues that arise in new and complex fields like biomedical sciences and the Internet of Things, as well as evolving social norms.

He said: "Demand for guidance on religious and ethical questions surrounding emerging technology is also expected to rise. Future asatizah will be consulted on questions related to biomedical breakthroughs, future financial products and technologies, novel foods and many other aspects that have bearing on the community's socio-religious life."

To ensure they maintain quality standards and abide by a shared code of ethics, Dr Maliki said more work is needed to build on existing efforts to professionalise the asatizah.

Besides organising a talent development programme that will train the asatizah to fill leadership positions, and putting in place a skills framework to help them upgrade and stay relevant, Cofa also recommended the asatizah have a common salary guideline so that their pay rises in tandem with their skills.

Dr Maliki said institutions to support the asatizah also need to be strengthened.

In a statement, Muis said Cofa recommended enhancing career guidance and internship programmes for the asatizah in religious schools, and establishing a liaison office to guide them in terms of job or professional development opportunities.

Cofa also recommended that support for individual asatizah be strengthened, through steps like increasing support for overseas religious undergraduates and postgraduates in skills upgrading during their period of study.

Speaking at a ceremony at Masjid Yusof Ishak in Woodlands to appoint the new Asatizah Recognition Board - a three-year term accreditation panel appointed by Muis - Dr Maliki commended the work the asatizah have done recently in advising Muslims here on how to take care of themselves following the coronavirus outbreak. For instance, some have distributed hand sanitisers to mosques, he said.

Mr Masagos had also thanked mosque and Islamic religious school leaders in a meeting on Feb 22 for their work in the fight against the coronavirus.