tarbimisahela

Tarbimisahela is a recently coined term that combines the Arabic word tarbim, meaning “education” or “nurturing,” with the suffix isahela, which itself derives from the Persian concept of “hela,” meaning “method” or “style.” The result is a concept that refers to an integrative approach to education that emphasizes both cognitive skill development and spiritual growth. It is typically applied within contexts where religious teachings are used to shape ethical and moral values alongside academic curricula.

The term first appeared in the mid‑2010s in a series of conference proceedings organized by the International Council for Interfaith Education in the United Kingdom. In those papers, scholars argued that tarbimisahela could bridge the gap between institutional learning and community practice, especially in multicultural societies where faith and secular knowledge often diverge. Subsequent studies in India and Malaysia have cited tarbimisahela as a framework for designing school programs that incorporate local religious practices without compromising scientific rigor.

Practitioners of tarbimisahela claim that the method encourages learners to reflect on their own values, to form a personal ethic, and then apply that ethic in everyday problem‑solving. The emphasis on holistic development distinguishes tarbimisahela from more conventional pedagogies that separate moral or spiritual instruction from formal education. Critics, however, point out that the term remains poorly defined and that empirical evidence of its effectiveness is limited. They also worry that the conflation of faith and schooling could blur institutional boundaries and raise issues of religious neutrality in public schools.

The concept continues to attract interest in educational policy circles, particularly in regions undergoing rapid social and cultural change. While tarbimisahela has not yet entered mainstream educational theory, ongoing research is evaluating its applicability across diverse settings, ranging from faith‑based private schools to secular state institutions that experiment with values‑education curricula.