Challenges Facing the Quranic Schools (Vyuo) in Kariakoo Area, Dar Es Salaam.

Abstract

The study is on three Quranic schools situated in Dar es Salaam at Kariakoo area. They are Madrasatu Al Qadiriyyah (i) which is at number 14 Sukuma Street, Madrastu Maalim Mzinga at number 49, Mafia Stree and Al Qadiriyyah (ii) at 19 Iringa Street (Ilala). The study was to establish the relevance of the chuo to the Muslim community whereby the enrolment in the three schools was reviewed from the year 2003 to 2007. The enrolment was continuous though with fluctuations in tempo. The staffing of the three schools was involved in the study and other Muslims were respondents mainly in two categories; one those who had the chance to study in the Quranic schools in any part of their life ( chuo alumni) and those who never had the chance (the non alumni). The study points out that the Quranic schools are still useful to the Muslims in Tanzania despite their facing obstacles from within the Muslim community and outside. Among the setbacks to the chuo are non recognition of the chuo as an educational institution, and non lack of proper foundation for its set up as the housing of the chuo is just residential houses either in the verandah or in common rooms. Further the chuo is limited since the teachers are not given proper preparations for the job which they do on trial basis. On top of that there is an extreme lack of reading material especially for the Arabic language and other related subjects in Islam. It is recommended that workers in the field of Islamic education should work towards the improvement of the chuo in Tanzania as it plays a very important role of meting basics of Islam to the young ones in the country at a time where globalization is at work and western media is in almost every household.