Arabic sign language in Indonesia

According to UNICEF, in Indonesia, only three out of 10 children with disabilities are able to go to school. However, this boarding school is hoping to change that.

A religious school for deaf people, students are learning to recite the verses of the Qur'an in Arabic sign language. Islamic boarding schools are an integral part of life in Indonesia with around one million students attending 27,000 institutions. But there are only a handful of schools offering religious education to deaf students in the world's largest muslim majority country.

The school was set up by Abu Kahfi in 2019 when, having befriended several deaf people, he realised they had no access to religious education.

Abu Kahfi: "It started 13 years ago, when I found out that some deaf people did not know their God and religion. I was moved to start a Qur'an group at home and now, 13 years later, I was able to build this boarding school for deaf children."

The school now hosts 115 students, aged between 7 and 28. It's a daunting experience for students who've never had a religious education and whose main language is Bahasa Indonesian. The students need to learn Arabic sign language in order to become a hafiz - a person who can memorise the Qur'an by heart. On average for a hearing impaired student this takes 5 years.

Muhammad Rafa: "I am Rafa, 13 years old. I am from Tangerang. I chose to study in this boarding school because I aim to recite all parts of Qur'an by heart. I want to be a Qur'an teacher for children."

For children from poorer families, Indonesia's religious schools offer the only opportunity to get an education. Schools like this now mean the doors to education are opening for the deaf as well.

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