Two Muslim schools have become the first to be promised state funding by the Government.

Education Secretary David Blunkett said the two independent Muslim schools have had applications for grant-maintained status accepted.

Zahida Hussain, headteacher of the Al-Furquan Primary School (1' 59")

They are the Islamia Primary School in Brent, north London, founded by Yusuf Islam - the former folk singer Cat Stevens - and the Al Furqan Primary School in Sparkhill, Birmingham.

Mounting pressure

The granting of applications by two Muslim schools comes after mounting pressure in the community for the same state recognition given to other faiths.

Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, founded the Islamia School in north London

State funding is already given to Anglican, Roman Catholic and a small number of Jewish schools.

Mr Blunkett said: "I am satisfied that the new schools should provide a good standard of education and will be financially viable."

Parents at the Islamia school, which charges parents £2,200 a year, threatened last year to sue the Government over the year-long delay in its application to join the state system.

The school has mades a deficit every year but state funding will help to resolve its financial problems.

Zafar Ashraf, a trust officer at the school, welcomed the decision but said it was a long time in coming.

Change of heart

The school, which opened in 1983, first applied for voluntary aided status in 1986 but was rejected despite an appeal which was upheld in the High Court in 1990.

Critics of Muslim schools say girls do worse in them

Mr Ashraf said he believed the Department for Education's change of heart stemmed from the change in government.

He said: "Both the Conservatives and Labour have spoken about parental choice and diversity but it is this government which have actually done something about it."

The decision puts the two schools on a par with grant-maintained Jewish and Roman Catholic institutions.

Equal treatment

Mr Ashraf said: "We are not looking for preferential treatment, just equal treatment."

The Islamia School caters for 188 children - of both sexes - and he said it had a reputation as a well-disciplined school which produced good results in a pleasant atmosphere.

He said: "Religion obviously plays a big part and obviously Muslim parents want to send their children here just as Christian or Jewish parents want to send their children to Christian or Jewsish schools.

"But we teach the National Curriculum and comparative religions."

No expected avalanche

Department for Education spokesman, David Peel, said he did not expect an avalanche of new applications following the decision.

David Blunkett: "These schools are viable"

He said: "I don't think Muslims have been waiting to see what we decide before applying but there may be some others and they will be assessed on their merits."

Mr Peel said the DfEE had asked themselves five questions before granting the applications:

Is there a need for new places in the area they serve ?

Two Jewish schools have also been given grant-maintained status: the Mathilda Marks Kennedy Primary School in Barnet, north London; and a new Jewish progressive primary school proposed for Hertsmere, Herts.

The BBC's Mike Baker reports (1' 00")

Ibrahim Hewitt, development officer with the Association of Muslim Schools, said Mr Blunkett's decision was a "positive step" and at least one other school - Faversham Girls' College in Bradford - would now be applying for similar grant maintained status.

He accused the previous government of a "discriminatory" attitude towards Muslim schools and said: "We always thought their reasons for refusal were not purely on educational grounds."

Mr Hewitt said the Government had made a "courageous" decision which would have a positive impact on community relations.

 

Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage	©