Although required to use the National Preschool Curriculum for the five- to six-year-old age group, preschools in Malaysia can add to this curriculum to suit their individual purposes. Thus, preschools with religious emphasis are common in Malaysia. Parents send their children to the religiously affiliated preschools in the hope of inculcating particular religious values in their young children. However, parents, and outsiders, may not actually be privy to what and exactly how the children are learning with regard to the religious curriculum. By providing thick descriptions of the activities in an Islamic preschool, this article is largely aimed at those who would like to understand the schooling experience of children going to such schools.
The majority of early childhood education centres in Malaysia are run by either
the private sector or non-governmental organizations. Although required to
use the National Preschool Curriculum for the five- to six-year-old age group,
these schools can also add to this curriculum to suit their individual purposes
and philosophy. Thus, preschools with religious emphasis are common in
Malaysia. Parents send their children to the religiously affiliated preschools in
the hope of inculcating the respective religious values in their young children.
However, parents, and outsiders, may not actually be privy to what and exactly
how the children are learning with regard to the religious curriculum. This
article will look at how the Islamic values and teachings are being taught to
children in an Islamic preschool.