New free school in Bedford plans to teach 'Islamic' studies

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Plans for an Islamic free school in Bedford are underway after a group of parents and teachers submitted an application to the government.

The primary facility, which would be called Bedford Excellence School teaching 4-11 year-olds, will have an ‘Islamic ethos’ and teach Arabic as a foreign language. The proposal was handed over to the Department for Education (DfE) in January with the hope of opening in September next year.

However, although the group says the DfE praised its plans for being ‘ambitious, clear and distinct’ there were a couple of ‘development areas’ that needed to be worked on before interviews could go ahead and approval given. Therefore it aims to reapply with the aim of opening in September 2015.

In an exclusive interview with Bedfordshire on Sunday, member of the free school group, Saqib Hussain, said: “The idea has been about for a little while.

“We are a group of parents and teachers who want to add to the local education provision in Bedford and have had fantastic community support so far including that of the five mosques.

“We will have an added focus on ICT plus teaching the Arabic language and an Islamic ethos of tolerance, discipline and mutual respect.

“It will be unique in offering parents English classes and we are clearly different to what Bedford has had before.

“The teaching would be underpinned by Islamic values but it is open to all faiths and not accountable to any religious body. It isn’t like a Catholic school which has a Diocese.

“We haven’t got anything like that, we are only accountable to the governing body.”

Mr Hussain also claimed the level of interest in the proposal was so high that they were already oversubscribed with many applications coming from the Eastern European community as well as the Muslim population. He said: “We are confident it will appeal to people of all faiths and not just Muslims and think that it will be a bridge between the pupils and the community bringing people together.”

On the group’s website it states that although no location has yet been, ideally it would be situated in the Queens Park area.

The plans are also backed by MP for Bedford and Kempston, Richard Fuller, who said: “The passion for education and the expertise of the teachers and parents behind the Bedford Excellence School is impressive.”

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