Islamic studies requirement meets moral hazard - Gulf News
The curriculum of private schools, primary and secondary, in the UAE is regulated by the government. Schools that attract Muslim students are mandated to teach Islamic studies to their Muslim students. But it is difficult to monitor the quality of the education, Islamic or otherwise.

Ultimately, the most effective monitors are the parents who have chosen the school for their children. And if the parents are more concerned with the quality of, say, the math instruction than the instruction in Islamic studies, then the quality of Islamic studies will fall short of the government's expectations.

To the extent that schools are defeating the intent of the Islamic studies mandate the cause can be traced primarily to the parents' lack of willingness to pay for quality Islamic studies.