Muslim Schools
One of the fundamental aim of Muslim schools is to
help the children to develop Islamic Identity which is crucial for mental,
emotional and personality development. Without a positive co-relation between
school and home the education of children will suffer and hinder their academic
progress.
There is plenty of evidence to support why majority of
Muslim pupils have been leaving schools with low grades or without any
qualification. State schools have even failed to teach Standard English to
Muslim pupils. The result is that they could not follow National Curriculum to
do better in exams. They have learned English in local accents making them
misfit not only for the British society at large but also for the global
village, which is use to Standard English.
British education is the home of Institutional Racism
where there is no place for a foreign culture and language. The main aim of
British schooling is to Anglicise children. State schools have been
mis-educating and de-educating Muslim pupils making them misfit not only for
the Muslim community but also for the British society at large.
They do not know where they belong. They suffer from
Identity Crises. The recent riots, runaway Muslim girls, unemployment, rise of
Muslim youths in custody and drug addiction are the direct result of British
schoolings. In the 60s and 70s, Muslim community especially from the
sub-continent was busy in setting up Masajid for congregational prayers as well
as for the education of Muslim children, mainly teaching the Holly Quran in
Arabic and Urdu language. Most of Islamic literature and poetry is in Urdu,
therefore, it's teaching is essential to keep in touch with their cultural
roots.
Evening or weekend teaching in Masajid could not help
Muslim children to develop Islamic Identity because they attend state schools
with teachers who have no respect for Islamic faith and Muslim community. In
the beginning of 80s, full time Muslim schools started emerging and now there
are 102 schools and four of them have achieved state funding. They follow
National Curriculum along with Islamic Studies, Arabic languages for all Muslim
pupils and also Urdu language for the pupils from the sub-continent.
The number of schools is on the increase and
naturally more and more Muslim pupils will opt for Muslim schools because the
silent majority of Muslim parents would like to send their children to Muslim
schools. One can see the lengthy waiting lists of Muslim schools.
There are many parents who have sent their children to
Pakistan for education and there are others who are reluctant to bring their
children, because they fear that their children will be lost in the so-called
Western civilization. The young generation born and educated in state schools
do not want their children to suffer bullying and racism as they suffered
during their schoolings. They are the one who are trying to set up Muslim
schools.
Now the Muslim community is very serious in setting up
Muslim schools after riots in the Northern cities and attacks of 11 September
2001. At the same time the British government is pressurizing Muslim schools to
admit at least 25% of non-Muslims. Majority of Muslim pupils attend state
schools because there is a shortages of Muslim schools and majority of Muslim
parents are unable to pay fees. Priority should be given to Muslim pupils for
admission and there is no place for non-Muslim pupils and teachers in Muslim
schools.
On top of that Church leaders are urging the
government to set up state funded Multi faith schools to undermine Muslim
schools and I will call it a conspiracy against Muslim schools. There was a
time when Church schools were reluctant to admit non-Christians but now there
is no alternative left for them but to admit Muslim children and in some of
their schools, majority of pupils are Muslims.
There are hundred of state schools where Muslim
pupils are in majority and in my opinion all such schools should be designated
as Muslim community schools under the control and management of Muslim
educational Trusts or Charities. Muslim children need Muslim schools with
Muslim teachers for their proper growth and development
Iftikhar Ahmad |
