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Tauheedul Islam Boys’ High School in Blackburn has become the first Muslim Free School proposal to be approved to pre-opening, and is now scheduled to open in September 2012. The British Humanist Association (BHA) believes that the opening of a Muslim school in such a segregated town is ‘a serious blow for community cohesion in Blackburn.’
The school joins five others in the ‘approved to pre-opening stage’, while one school is in the prior ‘approved to business case and plan stage’ and one school has completed the subsequent, final step of entering into a Funding Agreement with the Secretary of State for Education.
In July 2009, the Institute of Community Cohesion published a report on segregation in Blackburn with Darwen. Upon publication, the report’s main author, Professor Ted Cantle, commented that faith schools in the area are ‘automatically a source of division which have to be overcome’.
BHA Faith Schools Campaigner Richy Thompson commented, ‘Free Schools are able to discriminate up to 50% in admissions, but placing a Muslim school in a Muslim area is almost certainly going to result in a 100% Muslim intake. Given ‘faith’ schools’ segregation of pupils on the basis of religion, and given Blackburn’s history of segregation, this school represents a serious blow for community cohesion in the town.
‘Instead of opening more ‘faith’ schools, the Government should be exclusively promoting inclusive schools, which aim to bring together pupils of all religious and non-religious beliefs.’
Notes
For further comment or information, please contact Richy Thompson on 020 7462 4993.
Read the list of Free Schools opening in 2012 and beyond on the Department for Education website.
Read more about the BHA’s campaigns work on ‘faith’ schools.
The British Humanist Association is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people who seek to live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity. It promotes a secular state and equal treatment in law and policy of everyone, regardless of religion or belief.