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The Education
of Muslim Children in the UK
Iftikhar Ahmad of the London School
of Islamics reflects on widespread poor academic achievement among Muslim
children in Britain and calls for more state funding of Muslim schools.
According to a research study,
Muslim children are not doing well in schools. The reason is that they spend too
much time in learning the Holy Quran in the Mosques. The do not find time to do
home work and engage in extra curricular activities. The result is that they
leave schools with low grades and without qualification.
In my opinion Muslim pupils are at
the bottom because they are under the hammer of two extremes. They are forced to
live in two different worlds. They fail to understand where they belong.
Whatever they learn in the Mosques is meaningless for them in their every day
lives. In schools they are exposed to the pressures of racism, multiculturalism.
Western culture and bullying. On top of that the British teachers as well as
Muslim teachers born and educated in British institution have no respect for
Islamic faith, culture and community languages. They mis-educate and de-educate
Muslim children making them misfit not only for the Muslim community but also
for the British society at large. The result is that they suffer from Identity
Crises crucial for mental, emotional and personality development.
If the Muslim community, their so
called leaders and DFEE cum LEAs are really serious in raising the standard of
education of the Muslim children than fundamental changes have to be made in the
British educational system. Muslim children needs state funded Muslim schools
for their proper growth and development. They are in a better position to
educate them because they understand their needs and demands. There are few
Muslim schools where Muslim children are doing well and leave schools with good
grades and Islamic Identity.
The silent majority of Muslim
parents would like to send their children to Muslim schools. They have no
alternative but to send them to state schools. There are hundreds of state
schools where Muslim pupils are in majority. Such schools may be designated as
Muslim community schools under the management and control of Muslim Educational
Trust and Charities. They understand their needs and demands. The teacher is a
role model and Muslim pupils need Muslim teachers for identification. Muslim
teachers can be recruited from abroad for the teaching of National Curriculum,
community languages and the local Muslim teachers can teach English language,
literature and poetry.
I am sure if my proposal is
implemented than the standard of education of Muslim children would be raised.
They will learn Arabic, Urdu languages and Islamic studies by qualified teachers
and there is no need for them to attend mosques for learning Islamic way of
life. All their needs and demands will be catered for by state-funded Muslim
schools.
The London School of Islamics is
an educational Trust. Its aim is to make the British public, institutions and
media aware of the issues facing the Muslim community in the field of education
and possible solutions.
London School of Islamics
63 Margery Park Road,
London E7 9LD
Tel/Fax: 0208-555-2733.
E-mail: londonschoolofislamics@yahoo.com
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