Parents’ Power
I have been campaigning for Muslim schools since early 70s, because British schooling is not in a position to satisfy the needs and demands of bilingual Muslim pupils. Now MCB has accused schools of failing to respect the needs and demands of the Muslim pupils. The publication of 72-page document by the MCB is an attempt to promote better integration of Muslim pupils into the state sector. It calls for tolerance of religious needs and demands. According to Daily Express the document demands that all children to be taught in Taliban-style conditions. It calls for special considerations for Muslims in almost every aspect of school life: collective worship, PE, dance, swimming, exams, school meals, sex education and parents evening. According to a study, majority of Muslim pupils are underachieving at schools because the curriculum is racist. The lessons failed to motivate or interest pupils and that the curriculum did not provide enough positive models. Head teachers have warned that meeting the needs and demands of the Muslim pupils would pose major practical difficulties for schools and it sounds completely un-doable. The British Established dismissed calls from MCB for schools to do more to accommodate Muslim pupils. In state schools, Muslim pupils are placed in situation where they feel pressured into acting contrary to their beliefs and conscience and also experience Islamophobic sentiments and comments within schools.
Bristol council spent £18000.00 researching whether there was a demand for an Islamic school. The MORI report showed that support for Islamic schools and awareness of the Bristol Islamic School Trust campaign are at such a level within the Muslim community that the council cannot afford not to address this issue without significantly disappointing parents. I think all over the country, Muslim parents would support state funded Muslim schools. The silent majority of Muslim parents would like to send their children to state funded Muslim schools.
I did a survey in the London Borough of Newham in 1991 to find out the level of support for state funded Muslim schools. I visited each and every Muslim home in the Borough to find out their opinion about Muslim majority state schools to be designated as Muslim community schools. Nearly 90% of Muslim parents supported my proposal. The Guardian newspaper dated 5th of November 1991 devoted half a page on my efforts for state funded Muslim schools. The Channel 4 also produced a documentary which was due to be shown on that evening prime time but the broadcast was cancelled by the higher authorities because of institutional censorship and racism.
There are hundreds of state schools where Muslim pupils are in majority and instead of replacing them with Multi-faith schools; all such schools should be designated as Muslim Community schools with bilingual Muslim teachers as role models. Muslim schools are supposed to be not only faith schools but also bilingual schools where English, Arabic and community languages would have priority for the development of economic, social and emotional literacy. State funded Muslim schools are the solution and not a problem.
Iftikhar Ahmad
www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk
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