Meeting the Needs of Muslim Pupils in State Schools
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Towards Greater Understanding Meeting the needs of Muslim pupils in state schools Information & Guidance for Schools This information and guidance document and updated versions can be downloaded from The MCB website: www.mcb.org.uk Copyright © 2007 The Muslim Council of Britain No rights reserved. Parts of this document may be reproduced provided acknowledgement is made to this document and The MCB. ISBN????????????????????????????????????????? The Muslim Council of Britain P.O. Box 57330 London E1 2WJ t 0845 26 26 786 e [email protected] w www.mcb.org.uk CONTENTS Acknowledgements 6 Foreword 7 About this Guide 9 Islam and Education 10 Muslims in Britain 12 Muslims in Schools 14 Tackling Islamophobia 15 Inclusion of Muslims 18 1. A Muslim Inclusive Approach 12 2. Dress in Schools 20 Modesty 20 School Uniform 20 Sportswear 21 Beards 21 Religious amulets 21 Features of good practice 22 3. Halal Meals 23 Principles 23 Etiquettes of eating 23 Features of Good Practice 24 4. Provision for Prayer 25 Five daily prayers 25 Prayers at schools 25 Cleanliness before praying (Wudu) 26 Friday Prayer (Jumu’ah) 26 Features of good practice 27 5. Ramadan - The Month of Fasting 28 The importance of fasting 28 Primary school pupils 29 Prayers during Ramadan 29 Celebrating Ramadan 29 Physical Education 30 Examinations during Ramadan 30 Parents evening and after school functions 30 Exemption from Fasting 30 Medication 30 Detentions and after school activities 31 Swimming during Ramadan 31 Sex and Relationship Education 31 Special Ramadan evening prayers (Taraweeh) 31 Features of good practice 32 6. Islamic Festivals 34 Festival of Charity (Eid ul-Fitr) 34 Festival of Sacrifice (Eid ul-Adha) 34 Celebrating Islamic Festivals 34 Other Celebrations 35 Features of good practice 35 7. Physical Education 36 Dress for physical education 36 Changing (Primary Schools) 36 Changing (Secondary Schools) 37 Mixed gender sports activities 37 Showering after sports activities 37 Swimming 38 Dance 39 Features of good practice 40 8. Religious Education 41 Images of Prophets and the Divine 42 Visiting places of worship 42 Statutory right to withdraw 42 Features of good practice 43 9. Collective Worship 44 Determinations 45 Statutory right to withdraw 46 Features of good practice 46 10. Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) 47 Statutory Right of Withdrawal 48 Features of good practice 49 11. Modern Foreign Languages 50 Good practices - Modern Foreign Language 51 12. Expressive Arts 52 Music 52 Drama 53 Features of good practice 53 13. Islamic Resources in the School Library 54 Features of good practice 55 14. Educational visits 56 Residential Trips 56 Farm visits 56 Features of good practice 57 15. Further Issues 58 Muslim names 58 Shaking hands 58 Raffle tickets 58 Cases of domestic conflict 58 16. Engaging with the Muslim Community 59 Muslim participation in school governance. 59 Staff 60 Mosque education 60 Features of good practice 60 Appendix 1 Islam and Muslim cultural awareness training for School & Local Authorities 61 Appendix 2 MCB Books for primary schools 62 Appendix 3 Useful Websites 64 Appendix 4 Useful Links and Resources 65 Appendix 5 Muslim News and Media Magazines 66 Glossary 67 The Muslim Council of Britain 71 6 Acknowledgements We would like to thank Sultan Mohammed, Akram Khan Cheema, Abdul-Hayee Murshid, Cecil Knight, Mustafa Davies, Fatima D’Oyen, Asiya Kazmi, Robin Richards, Shakeel Hafez, Prof. Mark Halsted, Razwan Faraz, Ijaz Begum, Richard Hornsby and Bradford and Birmingham Local Authorities for their comments and suggestions during the development of this document. Special acknowledgements We wish to acknowledge the contribution of Al-Hijrah Trust UK, an educational charity, which provided the expertise and support for the development and writing of this guidance. We would also like to acknowledge the valuable contribution and support of Islamic Relief and Muslim Aid towards the publication and dissemination of the guidance document. Islamic Relief is a British aid agency addressing the needs of the world’s poorest people. Muslim Aid is a well established UK based charity organization that provides aid and relief to poor and needy of the world. 7 In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful Foreword There are approximately 1.6 million Muslims in Britain. They form the country’s largest religious minority and come from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Although three quarters of British Muslims are of South Asian origin, there are also significant numbers of Muslims from North Africa and the Middle East, Central and Eastern Africa, Eastern Europe, Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan. In addition, there are significant numbers of British White and African- Caribbean converts to Islam. Islam and Muslims are thus part of the mosaic that comprises modern Britain, with half of the Muslim population being British born. There are over 400,000 Muslim pupils in school education, of whom approximately 96% are in the maintained sector. The faith commitments of Muslim pupils and their families encompass all aspects of everyday life and conduct, including daily life in school. It is important therefore, that educators and schools have good understanding of how they can respond positively to meeting the needs of Muslim pupils. Many of our schools have a cherished tradition of fostering an inclusive ethos which values and addresses the differences and needs of the communities they serve. We are convinced that with a reasonable degree of mutual understanding and goodwill, even more progress can be made in responding positively to the educational aspirations and concerns of Muslim pupils and their parents. The current climate, in which there is much negative portrayal of Islam and Muslims requires that this be given greater priority and impetus to ensure that Muslim pupils are appropriately accommodated for and become an integral part of mainstream school life and thereby of society as a whole. Comprehensive information and guidance of this nature is long overdue. Its purpose is to promote greater understanding of the faith, religious and cultural needs of Muslim pupils and how they can be accommodated within schools. It also provides useful information and guidance and features of good practice on meeting these needs. One of the recommendations made by the Runnymede Trust report (1997) on ‘Islamophobia-a challenge for us all’ was that Local Authorities should work with schools to develop guidelines on the issues concerning Muslims. Many of the areas highlighted by the report have been addressed within this document. 8 We trust that this information and guidance will become a useful reference point for local authorities, schools, governors and teachers in recognising, understanding, and endeavouring to respond positively to the needs and concerns of Muslim pupils and parents. It is also recommended to Muslim parents to further their understanding of school practices and what they can reasonably expect from schools. Finally, we hope that this guidance is helpful in serving the purpose for which it is intended, Insha-Allah (God Willing). Dr. Muhammad Abdul Bari Tahir Alam Secretary General Chair of Education Committee The Muslim Council of Britain The Muslim Council of Britain 9 About this guide This information and guidance for schools draws from and builds on guidance documents already in existence. In the development and writing stage headteachers of state schools, local authorities, Muslim organisations as well as various specialists have been consulted for their views and comments. The purpose of this guide is to provide background information on relevant Islamic beliefs and practices and values and to deal with issues arising within schools that are important to and may be of concern to Muslim pupils and their parents. The information and guidance document is intended to be used, as a source of reference by schoos when reviewing their policies and practices in relation to meeting the needs of their Muslim pupils. This guidance addresses specific curriculum areas and whole school issues, such as uniform and collective worship. Each section explains the rationale for Muslim needs and aspirations and suggests positive ways for schools to establish good practice. We have attempted to cover the issues most commonly raised by pupils, parents, teachers, schools and governors, while taking into account the diversity of belief and practice within the Muslim community. Whilst the guide has been designed to be used primarily as a reference document, the reader may find it helpful to read through section 1 – ‘A Muslim inclusive approach’ – before referring to any particular section. Most of this document will be of relevance to all maintained schools across Britain, although the guide focuses primarily on the education system in England. Certain legal aspects, for example in relation to curriculum requirements and collective worship, differ in the education systems operative in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. We hope that the appendices will serve as additional useful references. The information and guidance provided, as well as appendices are not intended to be exhaustive and will be reviewed, updated and developed in future and will be available on The Muslim Council of Britain website (www.mcb.org.uk). Any comments from the users of this document is welcomed. Training In addition to this guidance, training is also available for school teachers and governors on the theme of this guidance ‘Islam and Muslim Cultural Awarenss Training’ for schools and for local authority advisors. (see appendix 1) 10 Islam and Education Islam attaches great importance to education, knowledge and learning. The very first word of the Qur’an to be revealed to the Prophet Muhammad was ‘Iqra’, which means ‘read’ and there are numerous references in the Qur’an and sayings of the Prophet that emphasise the importance of knowledge and learning. O’ My Lord! Advance me in knowledge. (Qur’an 20:114) Say (Muhammad), “Are those who know equal to those who do not know?, It is those who are endowed with understanding that receive admonition.