A primary school in Andalusia.

MADRID, September 15, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – An overdue agreement to teach Islam at public Spanish schools is finally seeing the light this academic year that kicks off mid-September, with promises more schools will join the club once the tools are there.

The agreement between the Spanish government and the Union of Islamic Associations has actually been effective since the second term of 2004-2005 school year. But only two schools implemented the deal.

Islam was first taught in Melilla and Ceuta; two Moroccan cities under Spanish rule where Muslims make up more than 40% of the population. They were looked upon as the model case for the experiment in other Spanish cities.

Lack of qualified teachers, coupled with the Spanish government's decision not to allow teachers from Morocco or other Islamic countries, made teaching Islam limited to three cities; Andalusia, Aragon and Basque, according to the Spanish Education Ministry.

Only 17 teachers met the Spanish government criteria, and will be tasked to teach in some 40 schools in the three cities.

Teachers were required to be university graduates and growing up in Spain.

Canary Islands were planned to start teaching Islam this term, but due to the shortage of teachers, the plans were deterred, according to IOL correspondent.

The Spanish capital of Madrid has a Muslim population of 100,000 while Barcelona has more than 150,000 Muslims, yet Islam will not be taught there this school year. Lack of qualified teachers is to blame.

Spanish Muslims try to fight stereotyping through schools.

Chairman of the Union of Islamic Associations in Spain Abdel Salam Mansour told Spanish News Agency EFE that he was not happy with the few number of teachers, around 17, and limitations to the agreement.

Still it is a significant step, he said.

For his part, secretary general of the union Riadh Tatari told IOL that he hoped the agreement would be expanded to cover the country.

The Islamic body was unsatisfied with the number of students who registered to attend the religion classes, only 25,000, while statistics of the bloc held the number as many as 80,000 Muslim students.

The agreement with the Spanish government was signed in the 1990s when the Socialist Party was in office, but was put to a standstill since 1996 with the rightist government of the People's Party.

The Islamic organizations and bodies in Spain wish to improve the stereotype image of Islam among Spaniards, especially in the wake of Madrid attacks in March 2004 that killed some 200 people, with a number of Muslim immigrants arrested in connection with the blasts.

Spanish El Periódico de Aragon newspaper said the religion lessons will be limited to some definitions of Islam and will be taught in Spanish except when reading verses from the Noble Qur'an.

The lessons will not include teaching how to pray or other Islamic rituals, as they remain the job of families and mosques.

Each teacher will receive some euros 1,200 ($ 1,471), according to the paper.