Independent Muslim school to shut

The school had made some progress after a poor report

Scotland's only Muslim school is to close voluntarily.

The Imam Muhammad Zakariya school in Dundee, which has 20 female pupils, had been struggling to survive after a report highlighting poor standards.

An inspectors' report two years ago criticised the young and unqualified staff and said pupils received only a limited number of subjects.

A follow-up inspection last year showed enough improvement for it to remain on the independent schools' register.

The school, which was set up five years ago, charged a fraction of the fees levied in conventional boarding schools.

State-funded

No-one at the school was available for comment.

However, the Campaign for Muslim Schools, which wants state-funded Muslim schools in Scotland, said that the closure strengthened its case.

Spokesman Osama Saeed said: "Catholic schools were brought into the state sector to ensure the quality of education that was provided in them.

"We've had numerous teachers say to us they would be ready to teach in a Muslim school, but only if it had the safeguard of being within the state sector.

"It's high time for this demand to be met."

The group has called for Glasgow City Council to make Willowbank Primary in the Woodlands area of the city Scotland's first state-funded Muslim school.

The closure-threatened school has a roll which is 98% Muslim.