FAQs
General FAQs
1. What does ‘Madrasah’ mean?
Madrasah is an Arabic word which means "school". However, in the present context a madrasah means an Islamic Religious school.
2. What law do the madrasahs come under?
All the madrasahs come under the Education Act. Under section 87 and 88 of the Administration of Muslim Law Act, the control of Muslim Religious Schools shall be vested in MUIS.
Click here to read from Singapore Statutes Online.
3. What is the primary objective of the madrasahs?
The madrasahs are intended to produce the religious elites(ulamas ) to lead the community on religious matters.
4. How many full-time madrasahs are there in Singapore?
There are 6 full-time madrasahs. They are Madrasah Al-Arabiah Al-Islamiah, Madrasah Al-Irsyad Al-Islamiah, Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah, Madrasah Al-Maarif Al-Islamiah (all girls), Madrasah Alsagoff Al-Arabiah (all girls ), and Madrasah Wak Tanjong Al-Islamiah. They are registered with the Ministry of Education as private education institutions.
5. Who owns and runs the madrasah?
The madrasahs were built by Muslim philanthropists to provide Islamic education for Muslim children. The madrasahs were built on wakaf lands. Now, only Madrasah Alsagoff, Madrasah Al-Maarif and Madrasah Al-Khairiah stand on wakaf land. The other properties have been acquired by the government. Each madrasah has its Management Committee which is registered under the Education Act. The members of the committee are appointed by Ministry of Education (MOE) every 2 years. MOE would consult MUIS before confirming the committee members.
By virtue of section 58 and 59 Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA), all wakaf lands are vested in MUIS.
6. How many students our madrasahs currently have?
This year the overall total is 4170 students enrollment in the 6 full-time madrasahs.
7. What are the opportunities that a madrasah student usually has after completing Pre-U2?
The opportunities are pretty good for madrasah students who wish to pursue further education:
- They may apply for admission into Islamic universities in the region, or in the Middle East
- Students who took A-level (as private candidates) may also apply for admission into local or foreign universities
- Students may choose to enter into polytechnics
Some would join some religious institutes and work as Ustaz or Ustazah for mosque madrasahs.
8. Can a madrasah student enroll in a local university after completing the pre-university?
Yes. Students may choose to do appropriate A-level subjects in their pre-university as private candidates. Upon successful completion of Pre-U2, these students may apply for admission to a local university. Every year we have some students who choose this option.
9. Is it possible for my child to switch to a national school after completion of the PSLE?
Yes, it is possible. We do have students who would choose to enter public school after Primary 6.
10. Which madrasahs offer pre-university education?
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Aljunied Al-Islamiah
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Al-Maarif Al-Islamiah
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Wak Tanjong Al-Islamiah
11. How much are the tuition fees?
This varies from madrasah to madrasah. An indication of the average monthly tuition fees is as follows:
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Primary: S$60
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Secondary: S$70
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Pre-U: S$80
For exact figures, please consult the respective madrasahs.
12. Are there international students in madrasahs?
Some madrasahs do cater for international students. For more details, give us a call or send an email.
13. Briefly, how is the madrasah curriculum like?
With effect from 2008, all Primary 6 pupils will have to sit for the PSLE exam as required by the Compulsory Education Act.
All madrasahs are adopting the curriculum, syllabus and recommended text provided by Ministry of Education for the academic (English, Mathematics and Science, EMS & Mother Tongue, MT) subjects. For the Islamic subjects, MUIS had embarked on the Curriculum Development Project (CDP) to develop:
- Curriculum, syllabus and lesson plans, focusing on the Islamic subjects
- Textbooks, Workbooks, Teachers’ Guide
- Training of teachers to use the materials developed for delivery in class
14. Are there English, Maths and Science in madrasahs?
English, Mathematics and Science are compulsory for all students at primary level. In addition to these three subjects, some madrasahs offer some electives like Geography and History at Secondary.
15. Is English the teaching medium?
English, Mathematics and Science are taught in English while Malay Literature and Malay Language are taught in Malay. At primary level, Islamic subjects are taught in English, while at secondary level the medium is Arabic.
FAQs on Primary 1 Admission
1. What are the eligibility requirements for Primary 1 intake?
Only children who are strictly between 5 to 6 years old are eligible for this Primary 1 admission. For details on the 2007 Primary 1 admission, click here.
2. When is the application for Primary 1 Admission?
The actual date for the following year Primary 1 application exercise will be announced around end of February of the year on Muis website as well as through advertisement in Berita Harian/Berita Minggu, distribution of brochures at mosques' madrasahs and some Islamic private education centres.
3. What are the admission procedures to enroll my child into madrasah at Primary 1?
Parents/guardians need to apply at their respective madrasah of choice around early March of the year, on a given Saturday from 9am to 2pm. They need to bring along the originals and photocopies of the following documents
- Identity cards of both parents/guardian.
- Child’s birth certificate.
- Proof of Citizenship, if the applicant is Non-Singaporean.
- Divorce/Death Certificate of parent/guardian (if any).
- K1 Development Progress booklet and its copy.
- Child’s Health booklet and copies of Illness & immunization records.
Application forms are available at the participating madrasahs. An administration fee of $15 is imposed for every application form taken.
- The applicants will be called to attend a common selection test and parents or guardians will be call for interview by the respective madrasah. They will be informed of the test date and time during the day of application.
- Applicants who sat for the selection test will receive a reply card through post to inform them of the status of their application.
- Successful applicants should register at the respective madrasah according to the date and time specified in the reply card.
4. My application was unsuccessful. Can I appeal?
Yes, you may do so. A ten days grace period is given for appeal cases from the date the results are released.
5. I missed the dead line. What can I do?
If you have a good valid reason for not being able to apply within the admission period, you can either call the madrasahs directly or call MUIS (MSU) to check if there are any vacancies available. The madrasahs however reserve the right not to accept any further application once the quota have been filled.
6. What if my appeal is unsuccessful?
You (parents/guardians) are required by law to register their child/ward in a national school as required by the Compulsory Education Act (Cap 51).
7. I was enrolled in a national school from Primary 1 to Primary 6. Now I want to join the madrasah. Is this possible?
You are welcomed to apply for entry into Secondary 1 in any of the full-time madrasahs. You will have to sit for an Admission Test, which is to assess your knowledge in Arabic language and Islamic Studies. In some cases, should you be found not suitable to join at Secondary 1, you will be allocated to an appropriate primary class to catch up what you have missed. This procedure may be applicable at other levels as well.
If you have any further questions about the Madrasah Strategic Unit (MSU), please call 6359-1155 or email at info@muis.gov.sg