For more than 40 years, Muslim volunteers have been walking into public schools with one simple but powerful purpose: to teach Muslim children their deen. Special Religious Education (SRE), commonly known as Scripture, is a one-of-a-kind program in a Western secular nation that allows approved providers such as ISRE (Islamic Special Religious Education) to send Muslim volunteers into public schools and provide Islamic education to Muslim students during school hours. It is a privilege that should never be taken for granted.

We often speak about protecting the faith of the next generation, strengthening Muslim identity and ensuring our children grow up knowing Allah SWT, the Quran and the teachings of Islam. Yet here is an opportunity already available to us: the doors of our public schools are open, the students are waiting, and what we continue to struggle with is finding volunteers ready to step through those doors.

Providing Islamic education to our children is a a Fard Kifayah; a communal obligation on the Muslim community. If enough members fulfil it, the obligation is carried on behalf of others; but when the need remains unmet, it becomes something the whole community should be concerned about. Scripture is not simply a weekly lesson. For some children in public schools, it may be one of the few places outside their home where they regularly hear the words of the Quran, learn the stories of the Prophets, ask questions about their faith and spend time with a positive Muslim role model.

A Scripture teacher may only see a class for a short time each week, but the impact can remain with a child for years. A story taught today, a dua memorised, or a reminder about good character may become a seed of iman that grows long after that student leaves the classroom. It helps children feel confident in their Muslim identity, connects families, schools and the Muslim community, and reminds them that their faith has a place in everyday life.

The most powerful part is that Scripture teachers are ordinary members of our community who give some of their time for something much bigger than themselves. Someone you know may already have sat in one of these classes — still remembering the teacher who taught them a surah, told them a story about a Prophet, or simply made them feel proud to be Muslim.

ISRE has been based in NSW since 1983, and this work continues because generations of volunteers chose to plant those seeds. In recent years, our team has helped spread the program to Queensland, Tasmania, Canberra and Victoria, and in 2024 some of our teachers visited schools in Indonesia and Malaysia to draw inspiration from their teaching methods. Similar Scripture programs exist in other states through local providers, so readers outside NSW are encouraged to explore those options or reach out if they need help to get these established. We continue to improve our programs with the limited donations we receive.

If we want a strong Muslim community tomorrow, we must invest in its children today. The opportunity is there. The classrooms are there. The children are there. Now we need you! For only half an hour a week, you can earn your Sadaqah Jariyah and plant that seed of iman.

To volunteer for NSW ISRE, please contact: info@isre.org.au