Islamic Education in Sri Lanka: Institutional Adaptation of Management, Curriculum, and Leadership within a Multicultural Context

Abstract

The Islamic educational institutions in Sri Lanka function within various social environments influenced by several ethnicities, religions, and languages. Although Islamic Education has a long history in the country, systematic research on the management, curriculum framework, and leadership practices that are in the best interest of the multicultural society is lacking. This study fills this gap by examining how Islamic educational institutions comprehend the challenges and opportunities embedded in the pluralist context of Sri Lanka. Using a mixed-methods approach involving case studies, semi-structured interviews with 45 stakeholders, and a survey of 320 teachers and students, the study examines institutional adaptation in terms of management, curriculum, and leadership. The findings indicate that although the awareness of Islamic institutions regarding the need and demand for integration of modern academic content with Islamic religious teachings, to enable the learners to adapt in the contemporary set-up, is increasing, system barriers like resources, policy-level, and intercultural competency are hindering effective adaptation. The dynamics of leadership are steadily changing towards more cooperative and participatory models. According to this article, making the necessary adaptations demands both internal institutions to reform with Islamic governance principles of shura (consultation), adl (justice), and amanah (trustworthiness), guidance, and national policy frameworks that recognize Islamic education’s legitimate role in Sri Lanka as a multi-religious country. The research adds to the existing literature on Islamic education in non-major Muslim societies, besides providing evidence-based recommendations to institutional leaders, curriculum planners, and policymakers.