"My fundamental aim is to ensure that Muslims pupils are getting the most out of school and reaching their potential," said Clarke

LONDON, December 11 (IslamOnline.net) – British Education Secretary Charles Clarke asked schools to take more steps to allow better integration by Muslim students, asserting there was no place for race and prejudice in the country’s education institutions.

"My fundamental aim is to ensure that Muslims pupils are getting the most out of school and reaching their potential," Clarke said in an interview published on the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) website.

In order to achieve this, the British official said schools should put in place robust strategies to ensure the school workforce becomes more diverse at all levels and much more confident in addressing the needs of minority ethnic pupils.

He also pressed schools to deliver a curriculum that "is relevant and engages pupils in an environment that respects the cultures and religions of all pupils."

The secretary underlined there "is no place for racism or prejudice in our schools and I want schools – and other education institutions - to tackle this head on."

Shortly after September 11 attacks, which sparked some attacks against Muslims in Europe, guidance was placed on the Education Office’s website to help schools respond to the concerns of pupils and parents, Clarke said.

"I am aware that many young people – particularly young Muslims in the wake of the September 11th attacks and the war on Iraq – perceived racism and Islamophobia as problems," he remarked.

The latest census showed that Islam is the second largest faith community in British, with a large proportion of the community of school age.

Diversity Understanding

The education secretary praised excellent examples of schools that developed ways making things more inclusive of pupils of different racial backgrounds.

"Schools can also develop pupils’ understanding of equality issues by ensuring that pupils understand and respect diversity in the school and the wider community," he said.

Many schools collect data on religious faith as part of a wider commitment to recognize and value the heritage and background of every child.

Clarke called on schools to monitor this data and, where it reveals patterns such as under-achievement or disproportionate exclusion, take practical steps to address them.

He cited the program of study for citizenship education - now a statutory part of the curriculum for secondary schools – which helps develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding about the diversity of religious and ethnic identities in the UK.

The education secretary asserted that faith schools make an important contribution to community cohesion by developing partnerships with schools of other faiths.

He confirmed that Muslims have the right to educate their children in accordance with their own beliefs.

"For many years we have acknowledged parents’ wishes to educate their children in mainstream Christian schools and it is only right, given our multi-cultural society, that parents of other faiths have similar opportunities," Clarke maintained.

‘Complex’

He stopped short of blaming faith schools for under-achievements and downplayed arguments that Muslims, especially those from Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, are consistently underachieving.

"I’m not sure it’s right to say that Muslim, Pakistani or Bangladeshi children are consistently underachieving," Clarke said.

"There are Muslim pupils performing at the highest levels in our schools and the performance of both Pakistani and Bangladeshi pupils has been rising steadily since 1998, " he clarified.

But the education secretary said that the underlying causes of under-achievement are complex.

"It is important for us to look seriously at the impact of policies, practice and procedures within schools so that we can support them to more effectively meet the needs of all pupils."

Clarke stressed that the Aiming High strategy, launched by his ministry last month, "sets out an ambitious program of work that will, over time, close the achievement gap between Muslim pupils and the highest performing pupils."

The plan includes consulting with Pakistani pupils in Birmingham and a number of voluntary and community organizations representing Muslim communities.

Responses to the consultation identified a need for more materials reflecting the experiences of Muslim pupils that can be used by mainstream schools within the National Curriculum, he said.

"We are currently commissioning research on what material does exist so that we can develop materials to fill gaps that the research identifies," said the education secretary.

He also called on British Muslims to encourage their children to learn English along with their mother tongue.

"The ability to speak English is crucial to enabling children to get the most out of school," Clarke said, noting that children who start school without fluency in English tend to progress more slowly in the initial stages of their education.

He asserted that parents have a vital role in supporting their children’s learning and development and this could include appropriate support for English language acquisition prior to entering school.