Salam alaykum, dear parents,

We pray this message finds you and your families in good health and faith.

We understand that some parents have expressed concerns regarding the recent increase in Sunday School tuition to $75 per month. We sincerely appreciate your feedback and want to take a moment to explain the reasons behind this decision.

The new board is committed to improving the educational quality of our Sunday School and investing in the next generation of Muslims in our community. Below, we’ve outlined the key challenges we face and our vision for improvement. These are factors that guided our initial decision to increase the tuition:

Challenges Faced at the Sunday School:

• Instructor Limitations: Boys’ classes have been taught by our imam, Erkan Aycicek, and girls’ classes by the hoca-hanım, Gulcin Aycicek, supported by a few dedicated volunteers. While we deeply appreciate their efforts, the current instructor count has not been sufficient to meet our school’s needs.

• Overwhelming Demand: The school receives between 80-100 applications each semester but can accommodate only 70 students due to limited space and staffing. This has required us to turn away many students.

• Student Diversity: Students range in age (7 to 17) and vary significantly in Arabic literacy and Islamic knowledge. This diversity has made group instruction challenging and has required more individual attention, which is limited by the current teacher-to-student ratio.

Social and Educational Value of the Sunday School:

• We recognize that Sunday School is a place for youth to make friends, have fun, socialize, spend time at the mosque, and grow accustomed to an Islamic environment. We do not wish to take away from this aspect of the Sunday School.

• Still, our primary focus remains on delivering a high-quality Islamic education, including teaching the essentials of Islam, proper Qur’anic recitation, short surah memorization, and how to perform salah. Unfortunately, resource limitations in recent years have made it difficult to meet these goals.

Our Vision for Improvement:

• Additional Instructors: Increase the number of instructors to improve the student-teacher ratio which is suboptimal right now. We respect our instructors and volunteers and do not wish to overburden them and deplete them of their good intentions.

• Structured Curriculum: Adopt a formal Islamic Studies curriculum delivered in clear English by relatable instructors.

• Continued Emphasis on Qur’an Recitation: Continue to focus on teaching students how to read Qur’anic Arabic, with a stronger emphasis on proper pronunciation.

• Emphasis on Islamic Values: Foster strong Islamic morals and good behavior in students by teaching them the importance of honesty, kindness, respect for others, and understanding the distinction between right and wrong.

Initially, we set the tuition increase to align with these goals while remaining below the rates charged by other mosques in the area. However, after carefully listening to your concerns, the board has decided to adjust the tuition to $50 per month for 1 child, $80 per month for 2 children, and $100 per month for 3 children as a compromise. We believe this is a balanced approach that allows us to continue improving the educational experience while being mindful of the community’s concerns.

We would also like to reassure you that no student has ever been turned away due to financial hardship, and this tradition will continue under the new board. Families facing difficulties are encouraged to reach out for accommodation.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Davud Kaplan directly at (862) 262-3583.

We look forward to welcoming your children to the upcoming semester, starting Sunday, January 26th.

Thank you for your continued support and trust in Ulu Cami Sunday School.

—Ulu Cami Board of Directors