Globalization and its Impact on Education in Muslim Countries: Responding to Opportunities and Challenges

Globalization with its negative and positive aspects at economic, political, social and cultural levels presents opportunities and poses tremendous concomitant challenges for education policymakers in Muslim countries. The main purpose of this paper was to highlight the impact of globalization on education and educational policies in Muslim countries. To this end, an attempt was made to define globalization in terms of its various dimensions, its advantages and disadvantages, and with reference to the challenges it puts forth, the consequences and problems it imposes, and the preferences and opportunities it provides. The writer used the analytical descriptive method; he depended upon the relevant literature in addressing this paper?s topic. It was shown that the cons of globalization in Muslim countries far outweigh its pros. The paper argues that in order that the pros of globalization can outweigh its cons as well as the privileges that upholders of the process can get in terms of prosperity and greater opportunities, it is vitally important that the process of globalization must be properly managed. To this end, the paper proposed various strategies that Muslim countries should adopt and develop in the field of education so as to transform the challenges of globalization into opportunities and ensure that they will be winners in the process. Religious education which is characteristically meaningful, holistic, active, challenging, and relevant to students? needs must be presented in the Muslim countries. Muslim countries should focus on educational policies that cater to the development of human potentials and resources along with adjusting policies to face the challenges standing on the principles of unity, trusteeship and using the mechanisms of sustained reasoning, consultation and consensus to uphold Muslims? interests at regional and international levels.