Every day, our children spend nearly six hours in schools, six long hours under the guidance of teachers who, in truth, are strangers to us. Parents often have little idea what actually happens in those classrooms: what values are being planted, what kind of mindset is being shaped, and which direction young hearts are being steered. In Kashmir, where faith and culture are deeply rooted, this concern is even more urgent. The real question is whether our children are being nurtured in an environment that secures not only their worldly success but also their Hereafter.

Many schools in the Valley project themselves as “Islamic” on social media. Their feeds highlight pictures of children marking religious days, wearing modest uniforms, or taking part in Quran recitations. These posts create the impression of an Islamic atmosphere, but inside the premises, the reality often looks very different. Behind classroom doors, Islamic values are sidelined, and sometimes even contradicted. Certain celebrations, activities, or casual approaches to discipline quietly reshape the way children think, in ways parents rarely notice until much later. The very hours we assume are filled with constructive learning may, in fact, be shaping identities in conflict with the upbringing children receive at home.
The problem is that most parents only see the polished face of schools, the reception area, the framed mission statements, and the administrators who promise “moral education.” Few ever step inside classrooms, where the real shaping of minds occurs. Even where CCTV cameras exist, parents usually check them only after incidents, not to observe daily routines. This creates a dangerous blind spot. Many parents simply trust that a school projecting Islamic culture online must also practice it inside. In reality, the influence children absorb in those six hours can quietly weaken their moral and spiritual compass.
For Muslim families, education is more than academics and careers. It is about tarbiyah, the nurturing of character, values, and an orientation toward Allah. A school that neglects this may still produce academically bright students, but at what cost? If children learn to push religion to the margins of daily life, their connection with the Qur’an and Sunnah becomes fragile. Teachers also play a critical role. A teacher who mocks Islamic practices, ignores prayers, or normalizes un-Islamic behavior can influence a child’s worldview far more than parents realize. The Prophet SAW reminded us that a person is shaped by the company they keep, and the same applies to mentors who spend hours with our children each day.
This is why the choice of school is never just about marksheets or careers. It is about identity, faith, and destiny. Parents will be held accountable for where they send their children and whose influence they allow over them. In Kashmir today, this responsibility is heavier than ever. Schools that pretend to uphold Islamic values online but fail to practice them inside risk producing a generation disconnected from its roots. Parents must demand more transparency, accountability, and genuine Islamic nurturing within classrooms.
Education in Islam is never neutral. It either brings a child closer to Allah or pulls them away. That is why our demand from schools must be firm: they must provide an environment where both dunya and akhirah are nurtured together. Only then will the six daily hours spent in school truly become an investment in our children’s future, both in this world and in the Hereafter.

Email:--------------------------khanovais819214@gmail.com