Katharine Birbalsingh – the head teacher of Michaela Community School.

vegansrock

If people on here want to go down the strictly secular route that France has taken there would be no RE in school, no state occasions in a cathedral, certainly the head of state would not be crowned in a religious ceremony and he wouldn’t be head of the Church of England. A lot more would have to go. That would suit me - do away with a monarch and the House of Lords altogether is the logical next step.

It’s true what you say about state schools. However, I worked for many years in a Catholic school (établissement sous contrat). Every week, each class on their chosen day, were split into groups of six children and with a volunteer went to designated room for Catechism for an hour.

Michaela School in Brent is a highly successful Free School which has more control over its ethos (I believe) than state schools. It is run on very similar lines to my Girls' Grammar in the 1960s, no talking in corridors, assigned places at lunchtime and absolutely no wandering about the school unsupervised until in the lower sixth form. It also achieves very high academic results, and parents are made aware when their children join that they must abide by the school's ethos, including strict secularism.
The action has been started by one girl who began praying at lunch time, joined by a few others, then other muslims were pressured to join. A social media campaign was started, teachers were threatened online and physically, the school governors voted 11 to 1 to ban prayer rituals in school time, the pupil sued, hence the court action.
The school accommodation in a former former office block is limited and a separate prayer room is not an option, being against the policy of secularism and also supervision difficulties.

This action against the school is using threats, intimidation and violence in a deliberate attempt to undermine its authority. I would imagine if Katharine Birbalsingh loses the case she will leave the school and move to one of many schools which have tried to poach her, to the detriment of education in Brent.
Threatening staff members because they are following school policy does not say much for the integrity of some of these parents, if indeed they are actually parents rather than just activists. It will be interesting to know who or what is supplying the funding for this court case.

Cool coco
Who do you envisage giving up their break to supervise this activity?
Would staff who are not religious be entitled to refuse?

Would you make the provision exclusive for one particular group?

Or how would you provide inside spaces for other religious or even secular groups who would like the provision of a similar space for them?
That would certainly happen amidst claims of discrimination against children who are not entitled to a space for them.

There is obviously need for more work on anti-bullying.

VioletSky

Children leave the classroom room for all sorts of reasons .. interventions, speech therapy, music lessons, other kinds of therapy, movement breaks....

If a school allows all of that and not time to pray, that is discrimination

Utter tosh. Most people wouldn't put praying in even the same category as learning. Or medical appointments. They knew the score when they enrolled their kids in this school, the rules are there to benefit all , and they seemingly do. If you don't like it they are free to leave. No exceptions should be made.

they made us do the lords prayer at the end of each day at our non religious primary school. They wouldn't get away with it now but that is good imo

schools have to make reasonable adjustments by law but I have just learned this is a free school so...

I'm a bit baffled as to how a child leaving a classroom for music lessons, speech therapy or interventions a couple of times a week, all of which are aids to learning, can be compared with pupils leaving a classroom a couple of times a day to pray. I'm assuming that parents who chose this school, did so in the full knowledge of its curriculum and ethos and made the decision that it was the right school for their child. So what's changed? Why are they now trying to force a change of ethos to one that the majority of parents, pupils and staff found superfluous, irrelevant and unnecessary? Plenty of other schools cater for all and any religion but Michaela Community School isn't one of them. They knew that when they bought the uniform.

petra

The knives have been out for this amazing inspirational teacher for years. This is just another example.
When this blows over they’ll find something else.
I wonder if these children realise how lucky they are to have her.

Yup!

VioletSky

Children leave the classroom room for all sorts of reasons .. interventions, speech therapy, music lessons, other kinds of therapy, movement breaks....

If a school allows all of that and not time to pray, that is discrimination

Fags behind the bike sheds?

VioletSky

Children leave the classroom room for all sorts of reasons .. interventions, speech therapy, music lessons, other kinds of therapy, movement breaks....

If a school allows all of that and not time to pray, that is discrimination

It's a secular school.

If parents want a faith school they should choose another one.

I'll bet no-one would get so exercised over a child of the Baptist faith, Plymouth Brethren, Hinduism or Judaism for example.

PuddyCat

I'm a bit baffled as to how a child leaving a classroom for music lessons, speech therapy or interventions a couple of times a week, all of which are aids to learning, can be compared with pupils leaving a classroom a couple of times a day to pray. I'm assuming that parents who chose this school, did so in the full knowledge of its curriculum and ethos and made the decision that it was the right school for their child. So what's changed? Why are they now trying to force a change of ethos to one that the majority of parents, pupils and staff found superfluous, irrelevant and unnecessary? Plenty of other schools cater for all and any religion but Michaela Community School isn't one of them. They knew that when they bought the uniform.

Well said Puddycat

And eazybee - good post, informative, thank you.

I think if you are getting the results she was getting, it might be quite easy to get carried away. She is obviously really good at getting amazing results for pupils from difficult backgrounds. That's really quite important. You might get carried away with your own brilliance so to speak. Reading some of the info I am not sure processes for this decision were followed ( or of course the governors could be weak and covering their own backs). Possibly she is really good at her job and didnt handle this well, we will know more as this plays out. Perhaps she is neither hero or villain, life is rarely that simple.

Schools should be embracing other cultures and religions and teaching children to be open minded, interested and able to formulate their own opinions...

And thankfully they do for the most part

VioletSky

Schools should be embracing other cultures and religions and teaching children to be open minded, interested and able to formulate their own opinions...

And thankfully they do for the most part

No they shouldn't.

They aren’t leaving the classroom!! So much intolerance on here. In one school I taught in teachers volunteered to do lunchtime clubs or groups - there was loads going on. We had a Muslim teacher who brought in sweet at Eid. It wasn’t a religious school but there was a Christian group and a space for this if anyone wanted. It had good discipline, an inclusive ethos and good results. These aren’t mutually exclusive.

Yes they should

Because we have to stop children growing up and becoming closed minded, bitter, miserable people incapable of any kind of personal growth

Crikey and who gets to decide what constitutes that.

A fundamental life skill is the ability to build healthy relationships. Everyone owes everyone something in a healthy society. We owe those we hurt an apology, we owe people who support us gratitude, we owe those we disrespected respect and accountability.

We will always live in a broken society until we learn to be accountable for our actions that impact others lives negatively... and that is what we need to build for our children and grandchildren's future

Saying so is, necessary.

A school is either secular or it is not.

I can't see there can be any argument at all.

I honestly think that when people come to live in a different country that has a different culture to their own, they should not expect people of that new country to change the way things are run. The whole point of moving to another country is for a better way of life so I honestly cannot understand why they want to change the country where they have come to live for a better life to the country they have just left. If they want to pray then pray at home before and after school.

If Christian people went abroad to live in a Muslim country do you honestly think that they would let us build Christian churches. When you go to Dubai or any other country of that faith then you have to abide by their rules so why is the UK letting immigrants do what they want when they want.

If immigrants do not like the way we live in a Christian country then they can go back from whence they came.

I am not against immigration as long as we put our own country's people first. But at the moment that is not happening.

All that you mention, VS is part of the ethos of that school.

Kindness, tolerance and understanding does not have to have a religious basis.

Religion worship can be practised out of school hours.

And again who gets to decide the meaning of some of those phrases. Just pick one, 'healthy society' everyone on this thread will have different ideas of what that means.

Violet Sky, infont think any child who is gay or trans would be allowed in Islam. I do not understand how gay trans or bi
People would support Islam. They would kill gays prople in somd countries. I sm puzxled why you do not accept secularism in this school?

CoolCoco

They aren’t leaving the classroom!! So much intolerance on here. In one school I taught in teachers volunteered to do lunchtime clubs or groups - there was loads going on. We had a Muslim teacher who brought in sweet at Eid. It wasn’t a religious school but there was a Christian group and a space for this if anyone wanted. It had good discipline, an inclusive ethos and good results. These aren’t mutually exclusive.

Teachers volunteer to do before school clubs, lunch time clubs and after school clubs one of which I run. They run clubs that interest them, not clubs that they are obliged to run.
Such intolerance?
Is it intolerant to refuse to
provide for one group when you can’t guarantee the same provision for another group? Or is it intolerant to say only one group is deserving of their request being granted?

I'm LGBTQ yes and I have Muslim friends

So perhaps the issue is the person or group of people, not the religion itself

Which is my point

Callistemon21

I'm sure you have mentioned you are an atheist, Glorianny, forgive me if I'm wrong, so I wonder why you are defending the Muslim faith so strongly?
Would you defend Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism or other faiths too?

With children of all faiths demanding their rights in school time, it could cause utter chaos with the timetables. Teaching could be constantly disrupted.

Should all state schools in England be Church of England schools as the C of E is the Established Church in Engand?

I'm not defending the Muslim faith. A room for prayer or meditation could be used by anyone wanting to spend time in prayer or reflection. I am an atheist but I wouldn't dream of insisting that all people are atheists or that all children be brought up as atheists. It seems evident that there are many schools coping with children of many and varied religious beliefs who provide space for them to worship or meditate.
I don't understand why this school couldn't do the same. Or why the religious bullying couldn't be dealt with like any other form of bullying. Does it matter, if one child is calling another names, quite what the subject of the names is. If it's "ginger" or "bad Muslim" it should be stopped.