REDESIGNING ISLAMIC EDUCATION FUNDING IN THE WEST

THE SINGAPORE MODEL AND ITS RELEVANCE FOR ISLAMIC SCHOOLS

Abstract

The growing demand for Islamic schools in the West, particularly in the United States, highlights a grave challenge: the lack of sustainable funding models. With most Islamic schools relying heavily on tuition fees and community donations, financial sustainability remains a serious concern, often resulting in high costs, limited access, and lower educational quality. This paper explores how educational funding may be redesigned by turning to a practical example: Singapore. Though small, Singapore, as a Muslim-minority country operating under a secular framework, offers valuable lessons applicable to Western contexts. This study adopts a qualitative methodology, combining a literature-based thematic review with analysis of public financial data of Islamic schools in TX. It explores how more resilient funding mechanisms for Islamic schools might be designed. Drawing on the example of Singapore, the paper analyzes how Islamic schools there have achieved financial sustainability. This focuses on the integration of Waqf, Zakat, grants, tuition, regulatory frameworks, and other Islamic Social Finance (ISF) tools that promote long-term sustainability, forming a blended funding model. To ground this analysis in a real-world comparison, the study also reflects on the funding structures of Islamic schools in Texas, where similar financial challenges are unfolding. This paper aims to contribute to the emerging literature on sustainable Islamic education funding by extracting key strategies and lessons from Singapore education funding models, and provides practical insights for Islamic school leaders, donors, and policymakers working toward building strong Islamic educational resilience in the West.