Informal Islamic Education in Lagos State: From Pedagogy of the Oppressed to the Oppressed Pedagogy

Abstract

Informal Islamic education is grounded in Muslim normative value. It was introduced to the people of Lagos in the precolonial period. However, this form of education was dispensed and accessed at that period secretly by the underclass and the oppressed in the society. It became widely accepted after Islam was granted official approval by Oba Adele Ajosun in 1775. This led to the open acceptance of Islam by members of royal courts and prominent indigenes. Islamic education became popular and accessed by different classes of people in Lagos society. Unlike the early period, when Islamic education was with the oppressed, it is now being oppressed, as little attention is paid to uplift its status. Literature has been oblivious of this development. This research, therefore, examined the transformation of informal Islamic education from the pedagogy of the oppressed to the oppressed pedagogy in Lagos State. The study utilised social action theory, while exploratory research design was used. Qualitative data were purposely generated from: Lagos Island, Epe, Ikorodu, Agege, Surulere and Ikotun due to the preponderance of informal Islamic schools in these communities, six oral histories were held with elderly Muslims, while 18 key informant interviews: proprietors of (IIS) (6) and opinion leaders (12); 36 in-depth interviews: parents of students (12), community leaders (12) and adult graduates of IIS (12), were conducted. Seven focus group sessions were held with graduates of IIS while five case studies of IIS and Islamic associations were conducted. Data were content analysed.