Transcript Muslim Schools in Britain

Muslim schools in Britain: Socialization,
identity and integration
LLAKES Seminar, 1st March 2012
Sadaf Rizvi
University of London – Institute of Education
[email protected]
Muslims in Britain

History of Muslims’ arrival in Britain can be
traced back to medieval times, however, a mass
influx took place in 1950s and 1960s following
the 2nd World War

Currently, there are 1.6 million Muslims in UK
comprising the second largest faith group after
Christians. (UK 2001 National Census)
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There are about 500,000 school age children of
Muslim parents in England, a vast majority is in
state-maintained schools.
Muslim Schools in Britain

Not madrassas – provide British National Curriculum
education along with the teaching of some Islamic
subjects.

Began to establish in 1980s by a group of ‘concerned’
Muslims, dissatisfied with the state schools system.
Low attainment of children
Difference of values
Lack of religious education
Sex education
Mixed gender arrangement
Racism

Criticized by policy makers, educationists, media and
the wider public
Criticisms of Muslim Schools
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Muslim schools are ‘sectarian’ schools educating
children with a completely ‘separate’ ideology
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Muslim schools are reproducing male dominance
and widening gender gaps, thus leading to the
oppression of girls
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Quality of schools is unsatisfactory

Multi-faith schools - a better solution to the
problems
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). ‘The rise of Islamic schools is a potential threat to
Britain’s sense of national identity...Schools needed to
protect the cohesion of an inclusive, multicultural
society….(and) in some Muslim schools that is not
happening to a sufficient degree.’
David Bell, the Chief Inspector of Schools in England
(2005)

‘Muslim schools citizenship warning, Independent Muslim
schools must make greater efforts to show pupils a British
“common heritage”, says the education watchdog for
England’
(BBC News, 17 January 2005)
A response to criticisms…
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The proponents of Muslim schools regard the critics’
comments as misconceptions and an example of
Islamophobia.

Islamic schools are a result of failure of multi-racial,
multi-faith state schools in promoting cultural harmony
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Muslim school are addressing the problems of
institutional racism, low attainment, lack of Islamic
education and identity crisis.

Muslim schools are promoting values of mutual respect
and tolerance and are thus building bridges towards a
more socially cohesive society.

Muslim schools are preparing girls to go to universities
rather than kitchens
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Despite the criticisms and the fears
attached to Muslim schools, the number
has continued to grow

In 1989, the number of independent
registered Muslim schools was 15; in 2001
it was recorded as 70; in 2006 it grew to
120 and in 2011 it was 168.
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By 2006, the schools were catering to the
needs of about 5% of the Muslim children
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The schools demonstrate considerable
diversity:
 Expansive
schools with 2000 children to home
based schools with 5-6 children
 Secondary single sex schools and primary mixed
schools
 Boarding schools and day schools
 Schools with less and high emphasis on Islam
 Mono-ethnic and multi-ethnic schools
 Private and state funded (7) schools
State funding of Muslim schools

In 2006, about a third of maintained schools were
faith schools. There were around 6,867 faithbased schools (Bolton and Gillie,2009):
 Church
of England schools
 Roman Catholic
 Jewish
 Methodist
 Muslim
 Greek Orthodox
 Seventh Day Adventist
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Voices of Muslim pupils remained invisible!!!
Research Questions

Why do some Muslim families prefer to send their
children to ‘separate’ Muslim schools?
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How are children socialized in a Muslim school?
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How do Muslim children perceive their schooling
experiences?
Methodology
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Ethnographic research
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Interviews
Observations
Survey
Documents analysis
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Ethnography of a Muslim school
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Narratives of Muslim girls
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School visits (primary/secondary, girls’/boys’, state/ independant,
multi/mono ethnic)
A Muslim School in England
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Established in 2003 as an independent girls’ secondary school
to provide full-time national curriculum and Islamic education
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Initiated by a Trust comprising members from mosques, local
community and parents (men and women), supported by
donations and fee
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Accessible to pupils from all faiths, though all students were
Muslims (60 girls in year 7, 8 and 9)
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Staff comprised Muslims as well as Non Muslim teachers
(3 out of 11 teachers were Non Muslims)
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School faced serious financial problems
Curriculum
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National Curriculum
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Islamic Curriculum
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Islamicised Curriculum
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National Curriculum
The school complied with all DfES requirements for
teaching national curriculum subjects (80% english, mathematics, science, ICT, humanities,
religious education, art and design, regional
languages, physical education) and providing the
linked co-curricular activities.
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Islamic Curriculum
Teaching of Islamic subjects including Islamic
studies, Arabic, Tajweed, Nasheed, Hadith and
Ibadah
Islamicised Curriculum
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Islamic ethos
 embedded in the entire teaching and learning
 inculcation of Islamic values within an Islamic environment (e.g.
mutual respect, truthfulness, cleanliness)
 some aspects of Islamic ethos stated as fulfillment of Islamic
obligations (e.g. prayer, fasting, Islamic dress code)

‘Blending’ Islamic education with national curriculum education
 Bringing in Islamic perspectives into the topics taught
 Emphasis on finding ‘similarities’
Qur’an explains human reproduction. It says, ‘He makes you in
the wombs of your mothers in stages, one after another, in
three veils of darkness’. (Sura 39:6). The staging of human
embryo described in the 20th century suggests that an embryo
does exist within three layers, (1) The anterior abdominal wall,
(2) the uterine wall, (3) the amniochorionic membrane. Then
the Qur’an says, ‘Then We made it into a leech-like structure’
(sura 23:14). The human embryo clings to the uterus in the
same way as leech clings to the skin. It is remarkable how
much the embryo of 3-4 weeks resembles a leech.
Links with ‘outside’ community
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Inter-faith dialogues
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Visits to synagogues and churches,and
talks by scholars from other religions
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Community events (campaigns / fund
raising)
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Response to specific events
Muslim girls......
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The girls demonstrated considerable diversity
in their social background, and strong variation
in ways they negotiate and conceive the school
curriculum.
Country of origin/ethnicity
No of girls
Pakistan
23
Bangladesh
17
Somalia
3
Saudi Arabia
1
Palestine
1
Algeria
1
Chechnya
1
Afghanistan
1
England (White)
1
Mixed
5
54
Classification
British born
38
Born in country of origin
13
Born elsewhere
3
Total
54
Primary / past schooling
State schools
47
Private schools in UK
5
Islamic schools
1
Home school
1
Total
54
Categorizing girls in ways they negotiate and
conceive the Islamic curriculum ….
1.
2.
3.
‘faith girls’
‘diffident girls’
‘rebellious girls’
Faith girls….
Demonstrate a strong commitment to Islam
 Not only perform Islamic rituals but also
observe values as emphasized in Islam
 Maintain positive relations with members of
staff, rarely show behavioural problems
 Serve as ‘transmitters’ of Islamic knowledge
both inside and outside the school context
 Form a mixed ability group
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I think going to a Muslim school at this age will benefit us on top
of getting more reward by Allah and it will give us more. We’ll be
standing out for the next generation, we are showing us like good
Muslims.
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If my mum and dad tell me I can’t do something, I just accept it.
Because if you are making your mum and dad happy, you are
making Allah happy. If you are upsetting your mum and dad,
you are upsetting Allah
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In France girls are not allowed to wear the hijaab; can we do
something about it?
Diffident girls…
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Show fluctuations in terms of behaviour,
academic performance and religious
observance
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Influenced by company (both faith girls and
rebels, friends from previous schools), family
circumstances, ‘clash of cultures’ and
perceived media influence.
Rebellious girls ….
Show strong resistance to Islamic values
imparted at the school
 Confrontational and disruptive in the class
 Often maintain a disrespectful attitude towards
staff and pupils
 Rebel differently (bullying, becoming involved
in minor thefts, skipping prayers, not wearing
hijaab)
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Perceptions of self
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Religion, Britain and school are used to define and
negotiate identity
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Q: If someone asks you ‘who are you’, what would you say?
A: I would say I am a Muslim…….I would then say, I am
British
Q: But you are from Bangladesh
A: My parents are, not me, I was born here so this is my
country…….oh yes, and I would also add that I study in
this school
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Tendency to deny connection with parents’ countries of
origin
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Hold strong career plans for the future; idealize women
who are educated, career oriented and balance career with
family and religious obligations
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Rebel against cultural ideas as well as British values
Reasons for being in a Muslim school are: seeking
knowledge about Islam and avoiding ‘problems’ faced in
previous schools
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Finding out more about my religion has helped me
interact more in the society
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There you looked different because of the scarf. You
were not one of them …
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My mother thinks I have become more smart and
brainy…... I love this school. It takes me about two
hours to get here but I still want to come to this
school.
Conclusions
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The Muslim school seems to enable girls to experience a common
identity while offering greater compatibility between home and
school, and providing opportunity to learn and practice Islam.
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The girls keep shifting and constructing their multiple and
multilayered identity around ‘British’, ‘Muslim’ and ‘British
Muslim’.
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The diversity amongst Muslim girls is a result of a complex
interplay of religious, cultural, familial and individual factors.
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The girls do not appear to be subjugated in a patriarchal system
and seem to enjoy the ‘autonomy’ in making decisions pertaining
to their education, career choices and religious practice.
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The above exists independently of social class or ethnicity.
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The Muslim school does not seem to alienate Muslim pupils or
socialize them with a ‘separate’ ideology.
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The environment of the school demonstrates a richness of
activities which is not acknowledged by the critics.
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The school does have problems but these are of an entirely
different nature than those identified by the critics
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The research confirms a range of theoretical
assumptions:
 Recognizes
that structure and agency as
complementary forces (Foucault 1978, 1980)
 Highlights
the significance of considering
culture as a changeable phenomenon in the
discourse of multiculturalism (Grillo 2001,
Werbner 2002)