Established 1981 London School of Islamics An Educational Trust 63 Margery Park Road London E7 9LD Email: info@londonschoolofislamics.org.uk www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk Tel/Fax: 0208 555 2733 / 07817 112 667
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
Why not just say you want state-funded MADRASSAS in Britain Ifti? Wouldn't that be more truthful? Why prevaricate? Please send this article to the NATFHE and the NUT headquarters underlining and emphasising that British teachers CANNOT teach Muslim kids ANYTHING because they are all RACIST and that foreign teachers will do a better job teaching the National Curriculum! Finally, as a brotherly word of advice: in future, check your grammar and spelling. It leaves a bad impression when somebody who is advising on educational matters seems illiterate!
Topic
Re: Parents' Power
Author
iram ramzan
Date Created
21/04/2010 18:33:01
Message
I don't know how a person who is so bigoted and narrow minded managed to get into a position of authority
"According to a study, majority of Muslim pupils are underachieving at schools because the curriculum is racis"
I seem to have noticed that u didnt mention which study and ONE study doesnt prove anything HOW is the curriculum racist please elaborate
"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"
so it should depend on what the majority ethnic group is in order to shape the curriculum?? LOL what a joke if the majority of children in a school were Chinese, should one then teach Mandarin/Cantonese as part of the curriculum and have all chinese teachers??
The reason why Muslim children are "underachieving" is down to the parents NOT the school its nothing to do with being bilingual their parents most probably dont bother learning to speak English when they come to the country- FYI this is England and all citizens should speak the English language. It is then because of this reason that parents cant go to school and communicate with the teachers on their progress because they dont speak English.
PLUS the parents dont bother to help their children with their schoolwork, esp if theyre girls- girls should only prioritise themselves with housework, lord forbid if they dont cant round chapattis- im assuming that a Pakistani woman who doesnt cook a fresh dish every day is a failure in your eyes?
"State funded Muslim schools are the solution and not a problem" Finally Religion should be a personal thing "Let there be no compulsion in religion" (Qur'an 2:256)] I wonder what they teach at your school brainwashing children with YOUR version of the truth
