The practice of integration, islamic and secular education: harmony in dichotomy

This study is informed by the contemporary practice of Integration of Islamic and Secular education among Muslim dominated areas in Kenya. Muslims comprise 11% of Kenya\u27s population with majority (87%) inhabiting northern and coastal regions. Integration of Islamic and secular education is a popular phenomenon in Garissa as a response to demand for Islamic education to satisfy religious needs and demand. The study sought to find out how Islamic and secular education are integrated in a primary school in Garissa, Kenya. To do this, the study adapted a qualitative case study approach focusing on one school that practiced integrated education. What emerges in findings is that the high Muslim population in Garissa sub-county was an overarching driver of demand for integrated education in the school. Muslim parents wanted their children to attain both secular and Islamic education. Furthermore, findings revealed that parents sought integrated education to reduce the amount of time their children spent moving between three institutions: primary school, madrassa and Duksi from which they sought both secular and Islamic education. Findings also revealed that the school adapted a bi-functional model of integration where both a madrassa providing Islamic education and a primary school providing secular education co-existed as one institution but operating independently. However, it was found that secular dominated Islamic education in this arrangement. The study recommends that a balanced curriculum that would give adequate attention to both religious and secular be developed so as to adequately cater for needs of both Islamic and secular education