The curriculum of educational institutions in West Africa varies considerably. This diversity in both religious and secular education is shaped by the individual teachers and leaders of each community. In Bondoukou and Zinder, Islamic schools are supported by the local community and exist alongside public schools that are sponsored by the government. Children learn the fundamentals of religious knowledge, reading, writing and arithmetic. At more advanced levels, students may attend an Islamic university or continue their education with a local scholar who guides the pupil in the study Islamic jurisprudence, theology, rhetoric and literature. Scholars often serve as spiritual and moral leaders, and also may function as judicial advisers and personal healers. One's knowledge of the Qur'an (the most important religious text in Islam) and its attendant literature, coupled with other factors including age, charisma, and economic standing, determines a scholar's status in both public and private spheres.