1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«I am planning to investigate push factors and pull factures that guide Muslim parents’ choice of their children’ school.» (p. 60)

Questions/Hypothèses :
«This study is guided by two main questions: (1) what pushes Muslim parents to send their children to Islamic schools? and (2) If the parents are not happy with the public school, what are the causes and the reactions to this divergence? […] I hypothesize that it is not just the shortcomings of the public system or the privileges of the faith school that affect the parents’ decision of the school choice, but it is a combination of the two. Put differently, Muslim parents are not running towards the Islamic school, but they are running away from the public sector.» (p. 60)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«Through this study, I seek to examine the experiences of three Muslim parents who experienced both the public school and the private Islamic school in Montreal, either through enrolling their children in these schools or through employment. [T]hese data are part of a larger study examining the experiences of fifty Muslim participants (students, parents, teachers, principals, and leaders) with the Islamic school in intercultural Francophone Quebec.» (p. 64)

Instruments :
Guide d’entretien semi-directif

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

«To face the challenges of public schooling, some Muslim parents in Montreal opt for Islamic schooling. They consider public secular education a threat to their very existence, as it will eventually eradicate their children’ heritage, identity and, consequently, theirs. The Islamic school “saves Muslim youth by helping them get a high school degree through adapting the curriculum to their needs, and by protecting them from the temptation of Quebec secular society”, said one parent. Muslim parents, while not denying the Islamic school’s shortcomings, seem to agree that Islamic schools offer an Islamic environment in which Muslim youth can learn the state’s formal curriculum, and partial protection from societal ”bad” influence, while fully practicing and participating in Islamic rituals. Parents expect their school, be it religious or secular, to enforce standards of behavior that are familiar to them and that meet their cultural and axiological expectations.» (p. 69-70)