ABSTRACT
The author first met Richard Pring in 2002 to discuss his DPhil proposal with him. He was interested in exploring the theoretical foundations of education in Muslim schools. A cursory study of Muslim history, shows how understandings of Islam have transformed over the centuries. Muslim faith schools, along with other faith schools, have a tendency to see religion as a finished product. Muslim educationists have understood the best of the Muslim tradition in their discussions of the aims of Islamic education. Pring has examined the contentious issue of faith schools in liberal societies. He suggests that it is through an education, the very best of a religious tradition that faith schools may be able to provide a defensible rationale for themselves - a rationale which promotes rationality and autonomy consistent with the liberal tradition and with distinctive faith traditions. A faith schools often claim their main objective is educational: that is, they wish to provide students with high quality education.
