KYRGYZSTAN TODAY Policy briefs on - Department of Geography
KYRGYZSTAN TODAY Policy briefs on - Department of Geography
KYRGYZSTAN TODAY Policy briefs on - Department of Geography
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PART III. ISLAM AND MODERNITY<br />
Dilaram Akramova,<br />
PhD in theological sciences,<br />
Osh State University, Faculty <strong>of</strong> Theology<br />
Religious Studies in Schools and Universities<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Kyrgyz Republic: Problems and Soluti<strong>on</strong>s<br />
The issue <strong>of</strong> religious competence is very important for modern Kyrgyzstan from<br />
political, social, educati<strong>on</strong>al and pedagogical standpoints.<br />
There are religious schools in Kyrgyzstan today, but there is no system <strong>of</strong> religious<br />
educati<strong>on</strong>, and the priorities in designing the school curricula have not yet been defined.<br />
There is no due attenti<strong>on</strong> to the problem <strong>of</strong> improving the educati<strong>on</strong>al level <strong>of</strong> practicing<br />
clergy, nor the training <strong>of</strong> new specialists with sound knowledge <strong>of</strong> religi<strong>on</strong> and secular<br />
sciences. There is an urgent need to develop the curriculum for a course <strong>of</strong> “Religious<br />
Studies” for secular schools and universities <strong>of</strong> the country, and to educate people in<br />
religious matters, in order to prevent religious extremism and eliminate stereotypes about<br />
various religious schools. This lack <strong>of</strong> basic knowledge <strong>of</strong> religi<strong>on</strong> am<strong>on</strong>g Kyrgyzstan<br />
citizens makes religi<strong>on</strong> a source <strong>of</strong> political, social and other c<strong>on</strong>flicts.<br />
According to Kyrgyz legislati<strong>on</strong>, every citizen has the right to acquire knowledge<br />
about the religi<strong>on</strong> he pr<strong>of</strong>esses. However, the Government, the Ministry <strong>of</strong> Educati<strong>on</strong> or<br />
the Muftiyats and Kazyyats do not have specific, well-planned, l<strong>on</strong>g-term or short-term<br />
programs in the field <strong>of</strong> religious educati<strong>on</strong>. The schools and universities <strong>of</strong> the country<br />
do not <strong>of</strong>fer courses. That can teach the basic principles <strong>of</strong> religi<strong>on</strong>s to students. The<br />
curriculum <strong>of</strong> “Adep Sabagy” (The course <strong>of</strong> morality), introduced in sec<strong>on</strong>dary schools<br />
<strong>of</strong> Kyrgyzstan in 1992, c<strong>on</strong>tains several topics related to Islam in the c<strong>on</strong>text <strong>of</strong> ethnopedagogy<br />
and a brief overview <strong>of</strong> world religi<strong>on</strong>s. However, such a curriculum does not<br />
meet today’s requirements, and does not c<strong>on</strong>tribute to solving the problem <strong>of</strong> religious<br />
educati<strong>on</strong> in the country. Some universities, at the initiative <strong>of</strong> their administrati<strong>on</strong>, teach<br />
the subject “The history <strong>of</strong> religi<strong>on</strong>s”, but there is no comm<strong>on</strong> curriculum for this course.<br />
Religi<strong>on</strong>, especially Islam, is <strong>on</strong>e <strong>of</strong> the most important comp<strong>on</strong>ents in the life <strong>of</strong><br />
Central Asian nati<strong>on</strong>s. Seventeen years <strong>of</strong> independence after the collapse <strong>of</strong> U.S.S.R.<br />
have shown that stability in Central Asia depends largely <strong>on</strong> the religious situati<strong>on</strong><br />
in the regi<strong>on</strong>. We should also take into account the fact that there are many foreign<br />
religious missi<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
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