Inside madrassas: Understanding and engaging with British-Muslim faith supplementary schools

Article

Madrassas are a significant part of many British communities and feature strongly in the lives of most Muslim children in the UK. But relatively little is known about how they operate and the impact they may have on pupils and communities.

At present, there is a significant lack of understanding among policymakers and the wider public about madrassas. Very little of what features in public debates has been generated through rigorous research. The main source of public information stems from the media.

This report attempts to fill to gaps by providing new evidence about how British madrassas work, the impact they have on local communities, and their role in the educational, social and religious development of children.

The report investigates the three important challenges that face madrassas in the UK:

  • Lack of evidence about what work madrassas do and how they work
  • Concerns about the impact of madrassas on community cohesion and radicalisation
  • The influence of madrassas on children's education and welfare.

Related items

  1. A sign for a polling station next to a block of flats

    Modernising elections: How to get voters back

    Elections are the defining feature of modern democracy. They are the process by which we express a desired future en masse. It is the mass dimension that matters most; it is the mass dimension that is receding.

  2. Bridge to the future: how to get the NHS through the winter and ready for reform

    NHS staff across the country are gritting their teeth. Christmas parties have come and gone, but a more threatening annual tradition looms once again – the NHS ‘winter crisis’. This period, renowned for long waits and increased mortality,…

  3. The great enabler: transport’s role in tackling environmental crises and delivering progressive change

    In this special issue of IPPR Progressive Review we bring together leading political, academic and civil society thinkers to consider transport in modern Britain and its role in delivering a healthier, greener, more prosperous and…