UK's First Free Muslim School Criticised for Fostering Segregation

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The first free school for Muslim pupils in Britain has been given the go-ahead amid claims it will cause division in the community.

 The application for the Tauheedul Islam Boys' School won Government approval despite council and union opposition.

 Free schools do not fall within local authority control and get their funding direct from the Government.

 They have greater freedom than academies to set their own agenda.

 The new school will have its first intake in September next year. Supporters insist it will help increase educational standards in Blackburn, Lancs, which has a 40 per cent Asian population rising to 95 per cent in some areas. But critics say it will deprive state schools of funds and lead to a segregated education system.

 The principal, Mufti Hamid Patel, who made the application along with school governors, yesterday rejected the criticism, saying the school would play an active role in all areas of the community.

 All pupils will have to undertake 500 hours of community service, take part in various sports, including canoeing and mountain climbing, and play an active role in society.

 The school will offer A-level and GCSE revision classes for all pupils in Blackburn and Darwen and create a Sports Academy for primary school children.

 It has already received more than 700 pre-registration admission forms from parents living throughout the country, including London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Dewsbury and Bolton, for the first 150 places. Only 50 percent will be allocated to members of affiliated mosques.

 Mr Patel said: "Support is generally good from across all communities. This has been 18 months in the planning and will be the first Muslim free school in the country."

 Maureen Bateson, Blackburn council's executive member for children's services, said: "The council did not support the application to become a free school.

 "However, now that it has been given the go-ahead I would like the school to continue to work in partnership with the local authority."

 David Foster, leader of the council's Lib Dems, said: "In my view we shouldn't have any religious schools of any faith. One of the problems in Blackburn is the segregation of communities."

 "A lot of schools are mono-cultural and we need to try to develop ways in which we educate the community as one rather than separately.

 "I hope Tauheedul ensures that it provides a curriculum where pupils are a full part of the community and they continue to develop links with other schools as the (private) girls' school does."

 Simon Jones, national executive member for the National Union of Teachers, and Blackburn representative, said: "This is extremely bad news for Blackburn with Darwen. It is not unexpected, nevertheless it is still a bad day.

 "It will further undermine much of the progress towards community cohesion. We are on our way to a completely segregated schooling system. It is going to develop potential social problems in the future."

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