The World Federation of KSIMC

The World Federation initiative ‘Madrasah Centre of Excellence’ undertook a second round of MCE Assessor training in Birmingham, UK between 26th-28th April 2013 at the prestigious Aston Business School and Conference Centre.

Potential assessors were invited from Jamaats across Europe, and Alhamdulillah a strong and enthusiastic group of 30 individuals were trained successfully.

Day 1 of the training included an introduction to the Madrasah Centre of Excellence vision. Participants were invited to contribute to the very specific learning process and introduced to the MCE Mantra. Ground rules were set and agreed upon. The learning began with an introduction to the 4 standards that Madaris’ will be assessed against, the iceberg theory, essential knowledge and skills for assessors and the art of questioning. This was a long and intense day which encapsulated the core of the MCE Assessors role in ensuring a transparent, productive and meaningful assessment experience for the participating Madaris.

Day 2 began with a reflection circle. The effect of the previous days learning was apparent with participants reflecting on their understanding of their own iceberg and how their approach towards situations in the future will differ based on the previous days learning. When asked what one new thing they had learned and how that would impact on their role as an assessor, one participant replied:

 “I have learnt that the MCE promotes complete transparency in the assessment process and our role as an assessor is to help the madrasah achieve their personal goals through support and guidance”

The day continued with practical exercises and understanding how any physical interaction with Madaris can impact on the effectiveness of the assessment process. There was lots of breathing, lots of role play and above all, lots of smiles and laughter.

The third and final day of the training was time to put the learning and experience of the previous two days into action. Teachers and parents from ‘Walsall Madrasah’ participated in role plays with the newly trained assessors.  Assessors were presented with some challenging situations and worked in pairs to try and address the evaluation standards. The day concluded with an emotional and inspiring reflective circle with facilitators, guests and participants contributing to the learning process and revealing their inner thoughts about the past three days.

Testimonial

“I left Peterborough thinking I’d return as the Madrasah equivalent of an Ofsted inspector. I was wrong. Instead I have returned in awe of the vision presented by the enthusiastic and dedicated Madrasah Centre of Excellence team.

The facilitators are a passionate group of people who have inspired me to be become part of this revolutionary idea. Over the three day course I met an amazing group of people from across the UK, grew as a person and understood the true value of respect for one and all.

I would go as far as saying that this experience has been a pivotal moment in my life. I would highly recommend the course to anyone who is thinking of joining.”

Dr Husein Jiwa, President of The Council of European Jamaats comments:

"As community leaders we have seen how madrasah education has evolved over the years, and today we are gathered as a group of people to embark upon this new phase of progression - one which is determined to inspire excellence in delivery, evaluation and curriculum.  I am truly delighted to see such dedicated individuals, who have shown their commitment to take this new phase with enhanced understanding, knowledge and skill based practice and become the ambassadors of the Madrasah Centre of Excellence for Europe. The Council of European Jamaats is fully committed to support the MCE programme, and together we shall invest in the future of our children, and insha'Allah strive to produce a community who is dedicated to the continuous learning environment."