An historical and descriptive account of the Islamic school system is presented. Traditional Islamic schools began with the founding of Islam in the seventh century A.D.; the madrasas or Islamic universities were considered to be among the world's finest higher education institutes. Although Islamic scholarship began to wane in the 14th century, the Islamic school has changed very little over the centuries. Today, millions of children attend such schools daily. The paper is divided into two major sections. The first section treats Islamic education from an historical perspective, tracing the key notions from the sayings of the Prophet to the writings of philosophers and theologians. Discussed are educational objectives, curriculum content, the status of the elementary teacher, the payment of teachers, school administration, the education of girls, and education in ethical and political writings. The traditional Koranic school, designed to maintain and propagate Islam, is the focus of the second section. First person accounts of the Koranic school are provided. The student, the stages of the curriculum, and teacher-student relationships are described. A seven-page list of project research papers concludes the document. (RM)