Neoliberal Educational Policies and Their Implications for Islamic Education: A Literature Review

Abstract

Neoliberal rationalities have increasingly influenced educational governance through competition, marketization, accountability, institutional differentiation, and responsiveness to economic demands, raising important questions about their implications for Islamic education. This study aimed to examine how neoliberal educational policies are manifested in Islamic educational contexts and how their consequences are negotiated by value-based institutions. The study employed qualitative library research using a structured literature review. The population comprised peer-reviewed scholarly publications published between 2021 and 2025, while the analytical sample consisted of eligible studies selected through purposive criterion-based screening from Google Scholar and Scopus. A structured data-extraction matrix was used to organize the literature, and the data were analyzed through thematic, comparative, and interpretive synthesis. The findings identified four interconnected dimensions: institutional governance and financing, access and social equity, curriculum and educational purpose, and religious identity and value formation. Neoliberal mechanisms promoted professional management, competition, differentiation, and global competencies but were also associated with socioeconomic stratification and religious commodification. Islamic educational institutions selectively incorporated these mechanisms while maintaining moral formation, religious identity, philanthropy, and social responsibility. The study concludes that neoliberalization in Islamic education constitutes a negotiated and context-dependent institutional process.