Overview

• The Verband Bildung und Erziehung has urged schools across Germany to introduce state-supervised Islamic religious instruction taught by certified teachers.
• Existing trials in North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria will undergo rapid evaluation and optimization ahead of a potential federal rollout.
• Proponents say classroom lessons by domestically trained educators can counteract radical influences from families or online preachers.
• Critics warn that continued cooperation with Turkish-linked DITIB risks external ideological control and structural dependency in curricula.
• An estimated 5.5 million Muslims in Germany highlight the need to integrate Islamic faith education into the nation’s denominational school framework.