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Crisis-hit Muslim school bailed out with state funding
Tim Ross, Education Correspondent28 Oct 2008
A MUSLIM school has been given state funding to save it from closure.
Teachers at Iqra primary in Brixton have been working for free because of a cash crisis. But now it has received £250,000 from Lambeth council and joined the state sector.
It has become one of six state-funded Muslim primaries in England. Pupils will follow the national curriculum but have lessons in Quranic studies and be taught in accordance with their beliefs.
Campaigners who oppose faith schools condemned the move. Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, said: "Not only has Lambeth ensured these children will be taught in isolation from the mainstream, and will therefore find it difficult to function in a diverse society in later life, they have delivered them into the hands of theocrats who will drill religion into their heads."
But Iqra's supporters stressed it would work closely with the local community. Acting headteacher Firdos Qazi said: "The parents, pupils and the community are pleased Lambeth has accepted them as part of their family of schools. We are looking forward to working with our friends and neighbours to make a school of which they and we can be proud."
Lambeth cabinet member for children's services Paul McGlone said: "We're pleased we can provide a free education at this popular school."
England has 11 Muslim state schools, but about 100 privately run institutions are thought to be potentially interested in applying for Government funding.
Children's Secretary Ed Balls has signalled his willingness to support more faith schools. Ministers argue it would be discriminatory to support thousands of Church of England and Catholic schools but ignore other religions. Iqra has 100 pupils aged four to 11 and a nursery. About 60 per cent of pupils are of Somali origin. It is based in two four-storey Victorian houses in Gresham Road, but will share classrooms, sports and computer facilities with two primaries, Loughborough and Kings Avenue.
Orchard primary in Brixton Hill became Lambeth's first state-funded Muslim school in 2006.
Reader views (16)
We are heading for deep trouble with dividing children by religion. People of all persuasions are determined to fight it.
- Allan Hayes, Leicester UK, 30/10/2008 23:46
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"Christian schools DO get funding - I went to one. So there's no story here. If state-funded Christian schools are allowed to exist, then Muslim schools should be too"
Exactly Charlie. Its unfair to fund some supestitious indoctrination centres and not others. None of them should receive state funding.
- Mark, Caledonian Road, N1, 30/10/2008 08:19
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I have to agree with those that would have all children educated together. Educating children whose parents have one faith in a school away from the children whose parents have another faith, or none:
(a) means those children will not get a well-rounded education exposed to many different beliefs or philosophies
(b) means they will likely be viewed as different from others in other schools, and view those educated in other schools as different, which will not help or encourage any kind of celebration of diversity in society; and
(c) may well mean that in any teaching of history or science, there is a lack of balance or indeed of accuracy; where the cultural or religious requirements may outweigh the imperative for giving them the best advantage possible for life in the World in the years to come.
- Mark, Didcot, UK, 29/10/2008 20:33
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So does any "faith school". By definition the reason for founding them in the 19C was the tensions between non-conformists, anglicans and roman catholics. The whole purpose was to see that the children of church members were "educated" in their faith. Even those "great public" schools eton , harrow,winchester etc are staunchly anglican, with a powerful secondary faith of snobbish arrogance. Non-conformists, Catholics and Jews followed in establishing "public" schools for the wealthier members of their own confessions. If you want to see a fanatically religious school, go to Stamford Hill, the Jewish schools their really make their religion central to their education.
- Don Whitehead, Milton Keynes UK, 29/10/2008 20:28
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Support the anti-faith school campaign. It helps parents dealing with individual schools and with the larger task of ending faith schools.
- Sa, Dundee, 29/10/2008 13:25
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It would have made more sense to close the school, bring the children in to mainstream British schools, and given those schools the extra money to help educate the children to enable them to take a full part in our society.
- Pete Moss, Reading, UK, 29/10/2008 09:48
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Christian schools DO get funding - I went to one. So there's no story here. If state-funded Christian schools are allowed to exist, then Muslim schools should be too. Also, Adam in Harrow: seeing as you don't even know how to spell 'Iraqis', you're in no position to make jokes about dyslexia.
- Charlie, Soho, London, 29/10/2008 09:22
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Surely it was Gods will?
- Bob, Cheam, 29/10/2008 08:52
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I hope you know what they are teaching the children.
- Stephanie Anderson, Raleigh, North Carolina USA, 29/10/2008 00:30
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Lambeth! That says it all.
- John, London, 28/10/2008 22:33
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Is this what the residents of Lambeth pay their council tax for?
Did anyone ask them?
What else could £250K have been better spent on?
- P I Staker, London, 28/10/2008 21:48
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Brainwashing children with religion should not be funded by public money. Religion should be banned from schools altogether. I know atheists who embrace the church to get their children into faith schools, because of the superior academic schooling they receive. It's not fair people play the system to get their kids into the better schools. Have these atheists been converted to Christianity, NO they just play along with it.
- Ros, London UK, 28/10/2008 14:37
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Disgusting.
Pandering to minorities yet again. Watch that void in our society widen even further.
- Frank, Home Counties, England, 28/10/2008 14:04
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I doubt that a Christian School would have got government money? Reverse racism.
- James Ritchie, New Malden, Surrey, 28/10/2008 13:17
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All opinion polls show that a majority of the British public do not support public funds being used for faith schooling. This policy will lead to more segregation, and therefore more problems for the future. I am tired of this Government sending mixed messages on the need for social cohesion.
- Andrew, London, 28/10/2008 11:25
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Is Iqra a school for dyslexic Iraqi's?
- Adam, Harrow, UK, 28/10/2008 09:52
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