- NRW examines teaching authorization for Islamic religious education
Following a case of fraud, the North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of Education is now reviewing all teaching permits for Islamic religious education. The ministry confirmed a report by the daily newspaper "Die Welt" (online Tuesday). According to official school data, there are currently 271 teachers for Islamic religious education in the state's school service, the ministry said. The review will check if the permits - the so-called Ijazah - have any irregularities.
The trigger for the review was a criminal trial at the Duisburg local court. In the course of this, the Ministry of Education became aware of a forged teaching permit in the area of the Münster district government from the year 2019. After the district government had first doubts about the authenticity of the Ijazah in the fall of 2021 and a commission confirmed the forgery in December 2021, the teacher in question was no longer deployed in Islamic religious education. The district government filed a criminal complaint and initiated a disciplinary procedure. Who forged the teaching permit is not known to the ministry.
At the end of July, the Duisburg local court sentenced a fraudster who had also advised the NRW state government on Islamic issues for years to a two-year suspended sentence for fraud. The judges were convinced that he had forged documents, defrauded, and used academic titles unlawfully. The 48-year-old largely admitted the charges. As a supposed professor and doctor, he made a career in the NRW-Ministry of Education and in science - although he had actually not completed a single degree at university.
- Given the forgery of a teaching permit in 2019, the North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of Education is now undergoing a thorough review, and the European Commission, as stipulated in Article 113, may be required to adopt implementing acts to address such issues in education.
- Following the revelation of fraudulent activities in issuing teaching permits, it is essential for the European Commission to closely monitor and potentially adopt implementing acts related to the verification processes, ensuring the integrity of teaching permits across all EU member states, including North Rhine-Westphalia.
