aslam-o-ailkum

im interested to send my kids to the muslim primary school only if all the staff are fully qualified and if the girls are taught women and boys are taught by men and if i could afford the fees.if the fees increases after the first year i might have to rethink.i want my daughter to be an aalima that will be a perfect oppurtunity for her and for us.as you know what happened to iqra academy i want to be careful incase...and i want to know how will be incharge?i hope it works so that i could send my son and daughter and i hope the fees is right.

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, its 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 over 140 schools and six of them have achieved state funding. I set

up the first full time Muslim school in 1981 but unfortunately it was closed down in 1986 due to unavoidable circumstances. Muslim schools follow National Curriculum along with Islamic Studies, Arabic languages for all Muslim pupils and 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 does 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 9/11 and 7/7. 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 shortage 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
www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk

I DON'T AGREE WITH ANY SINGLE FAITH SCHOOLS. THESE SCHOOLS SHOULD ONLY BE ON OUTWITH SCHOOL HOURS AS THEY SEEM TO SEGREGRATE PEOPLE INTO THEIR OWN GROUPS. HOW ARE WE SUPPOSSED TO TOLERATE EACH OTHER IF WE ARE NOT EVEN MIXING WITH OTHER FAITHS? EG. AT WORK, I HAD SOMEONE BEING IGNORANT ABOUT THE ISLAMIC FAITH AND HER EXCUSE WAS THAT SHE HAD GONE TO A SINGLE FAITH CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND HAD NEVER MIXED WITH A MUSLIM UNTIL SHE HAD MET ME!

i read with dismay some of these comments in both directions. the only way muslim schools will work is if there is if there is non muslim input. If you wish to have 100% exclusive muslim schools the you should go and live in an exclusive muslim country.

Salam 3alaikom

to be honest to idea of a muslim school is a very good idea but I don't not agree with the way you did put it. The english culture has been ignoring any language or culture and racisim is not everywhere. I went to scholl myself and I can't remember that I been victim of any kind of racism. they all respect my culture and religion.
if the idea behind the school is to offer our kids a good education to make them aware about our culture, religion faith, and make them good muslims so in this case it's a very good idea and I'm ready to help. but if the idea is to tell them that the outside world is full of racism and people who don't like them and don't like their religion, and this way make them hate all others people and faiths, then I strongly desagree and have no wish to put my kids in such school. my husband is british muslim and his family are not muslim, I don't want my kids to hate other part of the familly just because they don't share the same religion.

Islamic schools teach children particularly girls that the hijab is compulsary from my knowledge of Islam it is of personal choice for women to decide. I do not believe in forcing anything on children. A child should choose their own religion not have it forced upon them. I was also apalled at the channel 4 Revelations- Muslim School program. As young children were being taught that they should not talk to or be friends with those who are not muslim. This I have seen in real life. I thought Islam was meant to be tolerant of others not to shun them and refuse to have anything to do with them. All these schools do is encourage segregation from those of other faiths. School is no place for religion of any form. Religion should be kept at home and play no part in education of children in state funded schools. As I am aware that there are attempts to form a state funded Islamic school in Glasgow.

I think children grow up within an environment and a "religious" setting. A child who grows up within a Christian, Jewish, Hindu or other faith will be taught about that religion. If it is a home without a particulr faith , then the child experiences a set of beliefs and behaviours which we may not wish to call a religion, but in essence, it is the religion of no religion if you catch my drift. Children do not really get a choice of their parents or the religion of their parents but when they reach adulthood they can make the choice to continue, abandon or change their faith. .

I would suggest that it is unfair to ask a particular group to stop teaching their religion or things which are preparatory to it. There are criteria and there is a methodology in place which requires a siginifcant amount of education to extrapolate religious directives. In Islam knowledge of Arabic, and Arabic Grammar, Theology, Propehtic Sayings, Quranic interpetation are a few of the subjects that one must have studied to understand the Islamic rulings. I am sure you would agree that it would be unfair if a person who had no knowledge of Physics was to start telling a Professor of Physics he has to ignore one of the laws of physics when carrying out his research. . While muslims (myself included) often fall short of the mark, Islam is much more robust and has and continues to stand the test of time. .

As for the Hijab, the hijab to the best of my knowledge is a religious directive by God in the Quran. It becomes the case when a child reaches the age of responsibility or maturity. Before that it may be introduced to encourage a positive religious habit or encourage respect for religious places or actions. This is not too dissimilar from the scarf that our lady Mary (may God be pleased with her) is often depicted with or the covering of the head that women often wore in tthe not too distant past when entering the Church.

I share with you your feelings and concerns regarding teaching Muslim children not to befriend non-muslims. And these are the worst examples of Muslim schools but should not be used as a bench mark. The issue of segregation is an unhealthy one and I would much rather have my children grow up as Scottish children proud of their Scottish identy and equally proud to be Muslim. If we keep religion at home such ideas of segregation are dangerous and will fester and grow but within the confines of the home. These issues need to be tackled. The more religion is driven underground or shunned the more problems will arise.. If a Muslim school will encourage greater envolvement, a sense of civic responsibility, virtuous behaviour and academic excellence, I would hope such a school would be available for all, even if it is paid for by the state. And there are Muslim schools that do that. On the other hand if the school becomes a ghetto community then I would agree with you it should not be a burden on the state. In saying that I would much rather that and hope for a school community in Scotland that was broad minded enough and enclusive in spirit as well as law so that we do not have to have that discussion.

It is interesting that a 3rd world country that has had most of the great civilization influence its history, has accomodated and continues to accomodate various religious groups with their particular schools. Catholic Jesuit schools have been in Egypt for well over 100 years and many of the Muslim presidents of Egypt went to these Catholic schools in a Muslim majority country. German schools, French schools and English schools are all over such countries and they are seen for what they are either good schools or not good schools. The government has stipulated that certain subjects should be taught to ensure civic envolvement. Language and Religion of the majority are amongst them. I would hope that in Scotland we could lead the way and encourage those who wish to have a Muslim school to do so , but in a spirit of contribution, tolerance and success that adds to Scotland's heitage of education and enlightenment.

An anonynmous Scottish Muslim

Walaykumasalaam i think it is a good idea because right now i am doing childcare in year college and would love to become an early years childhood teacher. I've yet to encouner a muslim nursery in scotland.

i am an early years worker and i have to say within local authorities we welcome children of all different race,religion, sex etc etc. within nursery we touch on religions through celebrating different festivals ie.chinese new year, seker bayram, eid etc therefore the children are getting mixed learning about different faiths. its when they go to school they are getting religious education, within the 3-5 curriculum in scotland we do not educate and teach teh children about r.e we are educating them about celebrating different faiths and cultures, its not our job to do this....we welcome all children regardless of what they are into nursery, they come to nursery to have fun and to learn informally....i think its better for all children to mix and learn about each other so that there is less racism and less prejudice, if we teach our children this is normal then it will be!