The IIS’s Curriculum Development Programme
The development of an international curriculum for the global Ismaili community is a core part of the educational remit of the Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS). The Department of Curriculum Studies is responsible for the planning and development of the curriculum, which covers the pre-primary to secondary age groups. The IIS produces a range of educational materials and resources for use by teachers and students located in over 25 countries. It adopts a multilingual approach, with the materials available in ten languages.
The international curriculum forms the basis of religious education programmes organised by the Ismaili Tariqa and Religious Education Boards (ITREBs). The curriculum presents a graded programme of instruction which examines Islam as both faith and civilisation, historically and in contemporary times. It approaches the study of Islam in general, and the Shia Ismaili tradition specifically, from humanistic, civilisational and normative perspectives. Its overall aim is to educate young IsmailisAdherents of a branch of Shi’i Islam that considers Ismail, the eldest son of the Shi’i Imam Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq (d. 765), as his successor. in the faith, ethics, history and cultures of Muslim societies, and the Ismaili Muslim community in particular.
The curriculum draws on modern principles of education, with the intention of making learning a creative and engaging experience for young minds, as well as seeking to bridge religious and secular education. The teaching and learning materials produced include student readers and textbooks, guides for teachers and parents, and learning resources which include activity books, posters and picture cards.