Finding an Online Quran Teacher in Ireland

If you live in Ireland and the nearest Quran class is a long drive away, a one-to-one online teacher is a practical way to give your child regular, qualified teaching at home. Noor Elbayan Academy provides live 30-minute lessons on Zoom or Google Meet with certified Azhari teachers, for children from age 6 and for adults. Here is how to judge a teacher, when lessons fit around the Irish school day, and how to handle the long summer holidays and payment from a euro account.

When the nearest class is an hour away

Ireland’s Muslim community is spread widely. Families in the larger cities usually have a mosque or weekend school within reach, but in smaller towns and rural areas a class can mean a long round trip on dark, wet evenings, with younger siblings in the back seat. Many parents manage it faithfully for a year or two and then find it cannot be sustained.

An online teacher removes the journey without lowering the standard. Thirty minutes at the kitchen table replaces two hours on the road, and the time saved can go towards revision. It also means your child is taught individually: the teacher hears every word and corrects it there and then. Families who can still reach a mosque sometimes keep those visits for Jumu’ah, Eid and community events, and use online lessons for the steady weekly learning.

What to look for in a Quran teacher

Whoever you choose, it is worth asking the same questions:

• Qualification: does the teacher hold an Ijazah with a connected Sanad, that is, a chain of teachers going back through the generations?
• Experience with children: teaching a six-year-old is a different skill from teaching an adult.
• Language: can the teacher explain clearly in English, so your child understands the correction?
• Female teachers: are they available for your daughters, or for you?
• Feedback: will you be told what was covered and what to practise?
• Flexibility: what happens when your child is ill or there is a school event?
• A trial: can you see a lesson before paying?

At Noor Elbayan Academy the teachers are Azhari graduates with more than ten years of experience who hold an Ijazah with a connected Sanad. Female teachers are available for girls and women, lessons are given in English, Arabic or French, a written report follows every lesson, and the first lesson is free.

After-school lesson times

Ireland is usually two hours behind Cairo, so the hours after school are the early evening for the teacher. Primary schools typically finish in the early to mid afternoon, with infant classes going home about an hour earlier, and secondary schools finish later.

Irish time	Cairo time (usual)	Suits
3.30pm to 4.00pm	5.30pm to 6.00pm	Junior and senior infants, first and second class
4.30pm to 5.00pm	6.30pm to 7.00pm	Older primary pupils, after a snack and homework
6.00pm to 6.30pm	8.00pm to 8.30pm	Secondary students and children with after-school activities
Saturday, 10.00am to 10.30am	12.00 noon to 12.30pm	Families who keep weekdays for sport and study

These times are indicative. Ireland changes its clocks at the end of March and the end of October, while Egypt moves forward in late April and back in late October. For a few weeks in spring and a few days in autumn the gap is one hour, not two. Check your slot with the academy at each change.

A sample week for a child in third class

• Monday, 4.30pm: lesson. New reading or new verses.
• Wednesday, 4.30pm: lesson. Revision of Monday, then the next step.
• Saturday, 10.00am: lesson. Review of the week.
• Tuesday and Thursday: five to ten minutes of practice with a parent, guided by the lesson report.

Making the most of the long summer holidays

Irish primary schools generally close for July and August, and secondary schools for June as well. That is a long break by any standard, and it can go either way: a child may forget much of the year’s reading, or may make the most progress of the whole year.

1. Move lessons to the morning. A lesson at 10.00am leaves the rest of the day free.
2. Add a lesson rather than lengthen one. Four short lessons a week do more than two long ones.
3. Agree one goal with the teacher. Finishing the reading book, completing a set of short surahs, or correcting a particular group of letters.
4. Tell the academy your travel dates. Lessons cancelled at least six hours ahead are made up, and if you are visiting family abroad the lesson can simply follow you.
5. Secondary students: June is free of school and often of exams for those not sitting the Junior Cycle or Leaving Certificate, so it is a good month for an intensive start.

Which track to start with

Children who cannot yet read Arabic begin with the Noor Al-Bayan and Qaida reading track, which builds from letters and sounds to independent reading of the Quran. Those who already read can move to the Tajweed track to refine pronunciation, or to memorisation. The academy also offers Arabic for children, Arabic for non-native speakers, Islamic studies for children and an Ijazah track. The teacher will recommend a starting point after the trial lesson.

Paying dollar fees from a euro account

Fees are quoted in US dollars, from $40 per month. If you pay from a euro account, the amount in euro depends on the exchange rate on the day and on any conversion charge your bank or card applies, so expect small differences from month to month. A 7-day money-back guarantee applies after you enrol, which gives you a week of real lessons to make sure the arrangement suits your family.

Frequently asked questions

Is my broadband good enough?

A connection that handles an ordinary video call is sufficient. If your signal is weak, sit close to the router and ask others in the house to pause streaming during the lesson.

Can adults take lessons too?

Yes. Parents often begin alongside their children, with their own teacher and their own time slot.

What if we have to cancel?

Give at least six hours’ notice and the lesson is made up at another time.

Do I need to know Arabic to support my child?

No. The written report after every lesson tells you which page or verses to practise, and the teacher can explain in English.

Meet a teacher before you decide. Book a free trial lesson, or send your questions through the contact page.