AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Reports indicate that Islamic schools in Canada have experienced substantial growth; a trend, according to experts, driven by a combination of cultural, social, and security factors.
The city of Edmonton, the capital of Alberta province, hosts one of the largest Islamic schools in North America. The Edmonton Islamic Academy, established in 1987, now serves approximately 1,400 students.
The institution features a multi-purpose facility that functions not only as a school but also as a mosque. A development project valued at around CAD 60 million is currently underway to expand its capacity, aiming to accommodate more than 1,500 students on the waiting list.
According to statistics from the Canadian Islamic Schools Association, although the majority of Muslim students in the country continue to attend public schools, enrollment in private Islamic schools has shown a clear upward trend.
The Economist report also confirms that new Islamic schools in Canada are being established at a rapid pace.
One of the key factors behind this growth is parental concern over Islamophobia. In recent years, incidents of hate-motivated crimes against Muslims in Canada have increased, prompting some families to seek safer educational environments.
Islamic schools in Canada are required to follow provincial official curricula, but they strive to integrate religious teachings within these frameworks.
Many of these schools have extended their instructional hours to include Quran recitation and memorization.
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