Undergraduates Studying Islamic Studies and Availability of Certified Teachers

Mr Abdul Samad asked the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs in light of the MUIS requirement for asatizahs in the graduate category to have a degree in Islamic Studies (a) whether the Ministry has data on the current number of undergraduates studying Islamic Studies; (b) how many new asatizahs are required each year; and (c) what plans does MUIS have to ensure that there are enough certified Islamic teachers.

The mandatory Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS) was implemented in 2017 to develop a capable, credible and confident pool of religious teachers (asatizahs) for the Singapore Muslim community. ARS has two tiers, T1 – Islamic Teacher (Graduates) and T2 – Quranic Teacher.

Under T1, Islamic teachers must be graduates in Islamic Studies from a recognised university and have a good command of the Arabic language. Under T2, Quranic teachers must possess a certificate in Quranic teaching from a recognised institution.

Based on MUIS' Asatizah Manpower Planning Studies (AMPS) conducted in 2021, about 350 new asatizahs would be required over the next five years, or around 70 new asatizah per year. Currently, there are about 5,000 asatizahs operating in the religious sector, serving our religious institutions, such as mosques, madrasahs and private Islamic Education Centres and Providers (IECP). Based on projections in AMPS and the number of Islamic Studies graduates returning annually, there will be sufficient asatizahs to meet the community’s current and future religious needs. There are, currently, over 600 students known to MUIS that are undergoing degree programmes related to Islam or Islamic Studies, but not all of them will go on to be religious teachers.

To ensure that the religious sector remains vibrant and able to attract, as well as retain, religious teachers, MUIS embarked on the Asatizah Workforce Development Plan (AWDP) in 2019. AWDP aims to develop the asatizah workforce structurally through the adoption of industry good practices, such as the Career and Competency Framework (CCF) and Common Salary Guideline (CSG), as well as the development of upskilling programmes, such as the Skills Upgrading Plan (SUP) and the Religious Leadership and Talent Development programme (RLTD).