ISLAMIC EDUCATION POLICIES AND COUNTER-RADICALISATION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF INDONESIA AND THE UK

Abstract

This comparative study evaluates how state authorities deploy Islamic education to counter radicalisation in Indonesia and the United Kingdom. Rooted in public policy analysis, the research examines how a Muslim-majority nation and a Muslim-minority state integrate religious instruction into security and educational frameworks. Through qualitative content analysis of legislative documents, policy guidelines, and empirical literature, the paper compares Indonesia’s strategy of mainstreaming religious moderation (wasathiyah) with the British statutory Prevent duty across educational institutions. Findings indicate that Indonesia relies on soft-power curriculum reform, dialogic pedagogy, and institutional collaboration to build civic character. Meanwhile, the British model depends on statutory surveillance and safeguarding duties, which often stigmatises Muslim students as suspect populations. Both approaches face operational limits concerning teacher preparation, pedagogical autonomy, and the tension between national security imperatives and educational freedom. Effective counter-radicalisation requires moving away from securitised monitoring toward values-based pedagogical frameworks that support educators and build civic cohesion without alienating minority groups. The analysis also traces the historical evolution of both policy regimes, from Indonesia’s post-Reformasi religious governance reforms to the United Kingdom’s post-2001 counter-terrorism legislation. Particular attention is paid to the role of teacher training institutions, curriculum development agencies, and community liaison structures in mediating policy outcomes at the classroom level. The paper further situates both cases within wider global debates on the securitisation of education and the governance of religious diversity in plural societies