The 7th Annual Australian Islamic Schooling Conference (AAISC7) was held at the Islamic College of Brisbane, Karawatha, from Saturday 17 August to Sunday 18 August 2024 with the theme “Islamic Worldview: Renewing Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment,” bringing together educators, leaders, and researchers from across the country to explore the profound influence of the Islamic worldview on education.
The conference aimed to renew educational practices by infusing the principles and ethics central to the Islamic worldview, God-centric and holistic that continues to influence Muslim communities and institutions.
It serves as both a foundation for knowing and doing and as a lens through which Islamic schooling mediates understandings and practices.
The Inaugural Stimulus Paper, “A Shared Vision for Islamic Schooling in Australia: Learners, Learning, and Leading Learning,” set the stage for the conference. It highlighted the importance of the Islamic worldview as the foundation for a distinct form of education, centred around the concept of tawhid (oneness of God).
This principle was presented as the overarching philosophy that should guide educational practices in Islamic schools.
Keynote Speakers included Dr Samir Mahmoud, Dr Farah Ahmed, Dr Claire Alkouatli, and Associate Professor Nadeem Memon, who each delivered thought-provoking presentations on how the Islamic worldview can be applied to various aspects of education.
Dylan Chown, a lecturer at the Centre for Islamic Thought & Education, University of South Australia, expressed excitement about the conference, stating, “Day 1 of the Islamic Schools Association of Australia (ISAA) Conference was very exciting! Islamic school educators from around the country came together in collaboration, opening with the ISAA conference and culminating with the Annual Australian Islamic Schooling Conference.”
He praised Dr Claire Alkouatli for her presentation on reconceptualising behaviour management as the beautification of character in Islamic schools, noting the deep concern among Islamic school leaders for this theme.
Chown also highlighted Dr Farah Ahmed’s work on conceptualising Shakhsiyah Islamiyah as the aim of education from an Islamic worldview.
The conference also featured a panel session facilitated by Associate Professor Nadeem Memon, where discussions centred around how understanding the Islamic worldview can bring curriculum to life in Islamic schools.
Memon emphasised that the Islamic worldview “allows us to read the world, and that reading allows us to be in the world, and then to contribute to the world.”
During the event, the Islamic Schools Association of Australia (ISAA) unveiled their new logo, symbolising a strategic move towards enhancing their services in the digital age. The new logo represents a modernised approach to communication and service delivery for ISAA members.
The conference received widespread appreciation from various institutions. Malek Fahd Islamic School, in a Facebook post, extended gratitude to the Centre for Islamic Thought and Education for organising the event and to the Islamic College of Brisbane for hosting it.
They praised the efforts of educators and leaders in advancing education through an Islamic worldview.
The Australian International Islamic College also congratulated the Islamic College of Brisbane on hosting the conference, highlighting the event as a remarkable gathering of educators, leaders, and community members dedicated to the betterment of Islamic education in Australia.
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