IT is compulsory for all private Islamic religious schools operating in the state to register with the Johor Religious Islamic Department (JAINJ).
State Islamic religious affairs committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid said these schools must be registered under the Religious Schools Control Enactment 1991.
“Until July this year, as many as 215 private religious schools in Johor, with more than 7,000 students, have completed their registrations.
“So far, there are 37 private religious schools, including tahfiz schools, sekolah pondok, Islamic primary and secondary schools, that are in the process of obtaining full registration,” Mohd Fared said in his reply to Gan Peck Cheng (PH-Penggaram), who asked about the number of unregistered private Islamic schools and the “whitening” efforts done by the state government during the state assembly meeting here yesterday.
He added that JAINJ, through its Islamic education division, has found that 266 private religious schools have yet to be registered.
Mohd Fared said this includes 31 tahfiz schools, 12 pondok schools, 10 Islamic primary schools, and 213 preschools.
He added that tahfiz schools must also go through several processes according to the Control of Islamic Religious Schools 1981 Rules in order to be registered.
Among the 15 mandatory documents to be furnished are land ownership status, certificates from the relevant government departments including the Health Department, Fire and Rescue Department and police.
“In addition, the letter of permission to teach must be issued by JAINJ’s Syariah law division, which is one of the mandatory documents that must be prepared, to ensure that teachers who teach in tahfiz schools have credentials.”
