The actual debate over new and „European“ textbooks for the teaching of Islam in the schools in Austria has now been enriched with a new element. There is allegedly a lack of qualified teachers of Islam following the massive growth of Muslim school students in Austria. In spite of the growing number of trained Islam teachers, the number of students willing to attend classes of Islam seems to grow even more rapidly. According to the “inspectors” sent by the Austrian Islamic Community (IGGiÖ), it is mainly in the countryside where there is a great need for them.
It is especially in Vienna where the situation seems to be precarious. In the main and new secondary schools, the children of Christian faith have already been outnumbered by those following Islam, and the number of Muslim students is likely to continue growing. More than 30.000 children of Muslim faith attend classes in the primary and secondary schools in Vienna, and they are taught by 172 Islam teachers. The Islamic Community adds to this that: “We have an always increasing need. In all of Austria there are more than 66.000 students attending classes of Islam, and there are 570 teachers for this task”.
