Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Someone missed a trick | |
Posted by: | Francis Rowe | |
Date/Time: | 12/06/14 18:36:00 |
There seems to be a huge amount of disinformation about this issue with people very willing to believe hearsay and unsubstantiated evidence and quick to dismiss outright denial from people actually involved. The best coverage I have read of this issue was in the Guardian written by someone who amazingly enough seems to have taken the trouble to go to Birmingham. Firstly, for Vanessa's benefit it should be pointed out that these schools are not faith schools and no concerted attempt is being made to turn them into exclusively Muslim schools. Up until a few years ago all of the were controlled by the LEA and where they have gained academy status they remain non-denominational. The schools are in areas with a high Muslim population, in some cases they are the majority. They were historically poor performing schools but in the recent past they have seen a huge upsurge in results. The success of the local schools has been credited with a fall in crime and a significant drop in tension between the various communities simply because youths were coming out of the system with sufficient qualifications to get a job rather than join gangs. Park View school was rated as outstanding by OFSTED and its results were way ahead of what could be expected given its intake which included a predominance of children from Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Somali backgrounds, the three worst performing ethnic groups in educational terms in England. Although there is a majority of Muslim children at the school the head currently is a Sikh and, because of its results, it is highly oversubscribed. One thing most people agreed on is that the success that this school and others have had was partly down to a board of governors who were representative of the community. There is a huge amount of distortion in the media about what is actually going on. For instance it was widely reported that Park View had introduced Islamic Friday prayers. The reason this was done was that some families were insisting that their children attend at the local mosque which required them to cross a busy road unsupervised. The school provided facilities for prayers on the premises but they were NOT compulsory, apparently hardly anyone attends. As for the segregation of the sexes when a reporter asked why the boys and girls were having separate lessons for PE he was told that as the boys were doing rugby it surely would be inappropriate for the girls to join them but in the classroom they were taught together. Like any school the boys were often made to sit at the front of the class because they were less well behaved. The hard facts of the schools exam results completely undermine claims that girls are seen as less worthy of education. One lost British value that seems to have got people agitated is the 'banning' of the tombola at school fund-raisers. It seems to me that if you are trying to raise money from a group of parents a significant proportion for whom gambling is an anathema then the tombola should have been crossed off the list along with a hog roast. The problem that most people seem to have with this school is that the Governors and staff seem not to have entirely bought into the latest thinking on social issues. This isn't about Muslim values against British values, remember a significant proportion of the intake at these schools remains non-Muslim and they seem to be universally staunch supporters of staff and governors. It seems to me more like a clash between the socially progressive values which the majority of people in this country now hold and more socially conservative views which the majority of people in this country held twenty years ago but now only predominate in immigrant communities. There is no credible evidence of any Islamist indoctrination at these schools and from what parents and governors have said there seems no reason to doubt that this would be staunchly resisted from the inside if it was to occur. That's not to say there aren't some pretty unsavoury characters involved on both sides of this issue but we shouldn't let the out of context statements of some school governors determine what is best for children's education. After all we get governors of local schools coming on this forum and saying things which are pretty dotty and inflammatory and nobody is suggesting a unannounced OFSTED for them. |
Topic | Date Posted | Posted By |
Trojan Horse | 11/05/14 11:42:00 | Iftikhar Ahmad |
Re:Trojan Horse | 11/05/14 14:07:00 | Janet Norman |
Re:Trojan Horse | 11/05/14 14:39:00 | Oliver Gibb |
Re:Re:Trojan Horse | 11/05/14 14:54:00 | Carl Wynne |
Re:Trojan Horse | 11/05/14 14:42:00 | Andy Pease |
An Open Letter to Iftikar Ahmad | 11/05/14 15:12:00 | Richard Greenhough |
Re:Trojan Horse | 11/05/14 17:01:00 | Vanessa Smith |
Re:Re:Trojan Horse | 11/05/14 17:12:00 | Andy Pease |
Re:Re:Re:Trojan Horse | 11/05/14 17:35:00 | Pete Mayes |
Re:public HEALTH warning....! | 11/05/14 17:45:00 | Stuart Kerr |
Re:Re:public HEALTH warning....! | 11/05/14 18:44:00 | Carl Wynne |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Trojan Horse | 11/05/14 17:51:00 | Colin Jordan |
for background | 11/05/14 18:44:00 | Claudia Jachtmann |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Trojan Horse | 11/05/14 18:45:00 | Nikki Howard |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Trojan Horse | 11/05/14 18:50:00 | Anne England |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Trojan Horse or Muppet? | 11/05/14 18:57:00 | Vanessa Smith |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Trojan Horse or Muppet? | 12/05/14 11:05:00 | Sam Hearn Cllr |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Trojan Horse or Muppet? | 12/05/14 12:17:00 | Vanessa Smith |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Trojan Horse or Muppet? | 12/05/14 12:25:00 | Pete Mayes |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Trojan Horse or Muppet? | 12/05/14 12:39:00 | Richard Greenhough |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Trojan Horse or Muppet? | 12/05/14 14:30:00 | Vanessa Smith |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Trojan Horse or Muppet? | 12/05/14 14:48:00 | Dan Murphy |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Has Iftikhar Ahmad been banned? | 12/05/14 16:35:00 | Nikki Howard |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Has Iftikhar Ahmad been banned? | 12/05/14 17:21:00 | Sam Hearn Cllr |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Has Iftikhar Ahmad been banned? | 12/05/14 17:55:00 | Richard Jennings |
'A Balanced View' | 13/05/14 08:57:00 | Francis Rowe |
Re:'A Balanced View' | 13/05/14 09:29:00 | Dan Murphy |
The good thing about evangelists | 13/05/14 10:30:00 | Alastair Banton |
Re:Re:'A Balanced View' | 13/05/14 14:08:00 | Francis Rowe |
Re:Re:Re:'A Balanced View' | 13/05/14 15:09:00 | John Hickman |
Re:Re:Re:Re:'A Balanced View' | 14/05/14 08:32:00 | Francis Rowe |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:'A Balanced View' | 14/05/14 08:44:00 | Dan Murphy |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:'A Balanced View' | 14/05/14 13:19:00 | Anita Blake |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:'A Balanced View' | 14/05/14 13:52:00 | Dan Murphy |
Come off it Dan Murphy. | 14/05/14 14:10:00 | Felicity Caborn |
Re:Come off it Dan Murphy. | 14/05/14 14:38:00 | Dan Murphy |
Re:Re:Come off it Dan Murphy. | 15/05/14 06:43:00 | Felicity Caborn |
Re:Re:Come off it Dan Murphy. | 13/06/14 20:14:00 | Richard Laux |
Re:Classical Allusion ? | 14/05/14 09:19:00 | Richard Greenhough |
Re:Re:Classical Allusion ? | 14/05/14 10:10:00 | Colin Jordan |
Re:Re:Re:Classical Allusion ? | 14/05/14 13:37:00 | Pete Mayes |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Classical Allusion ? | 14/05/14 13:54:00 | Dan Murphy |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Classical Allusion ? | 14/05/14 14:28:00 | Will Watson |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Classical Allusion ? | 14/05/14 14:36:00 | Pete Mayes |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Classical Allusion ? | 14/05/14 15:06:00 | Dan Murphy |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Classical Allusion ? | 14/05/14 15:29:00 | Will Watson |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Classical Allusion ? | 14/05/14 15:44:00 | Dan Murphy |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Classical Allusion ? | 14/05/14 16:14:00 | Will Watson |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Classical Allusion ? | 14/05/14 16:56:00 | Greg Walker |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Classical Allusion ? | 14/05/14 17:01:00 | Huw Burford-Taylor |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Classical Allusion ? | 14/05/14 17:14:00 | Dan Murphy |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Classical Allusion ? | 14/05/14 17:10:00 | Dan Murphy |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Classical Allusion ? | 14/05/14 17:29:00 | Alan Clark |
we are not talking about Religous Schools | 14/05/14 17:51:00 | Claudia Jachtmann |
Alan Clarke | 14/05/14 22:54:00 | Oliver Gibb |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Classical Allusion ? | 14/05/14 17:48:00 | Will Watson |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Classical Allusion ? | 14/05/14 21:33:00 | John Hickman |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Classical Allusion ? | 14/05/14 22:46:00 | Oliver Gibb |
Christening? | 14/05/14 21:54:00 | Oliver Gibb |
Re:Christening? | 14/05/14 21:59:00 | John Hickman |
Re:Re:Christening? | 14/05/14 22:38:00 | Oliver Gibb |
Re:Re:Re:Christening? | 15/05/14 10:38:00 | John Hickman |
Daily mail??? | 15/05/14 15:03:00 | Oliver Gibb |
Re:Christening? | 15/05/14 05:36:00 | Dan Murphy |
Re:Re:Christening? | 15/05/14 09:21:00 | Nick Mason |
Re:Re:Re:Christening? | 15/05/14 09:31:00 | Dan Murphy |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Christening? | 15/05/14 10:18:00 | Nick Mason |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Christening? | 15/05/14 10:33:00 | Dan Murphy |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Christening? | 15/05/14 10:38:00 | Nick Mason |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:'A Balanced View' | 14/05/14 21:21:00 | John Hickman |
Oliver Gibb | 15/05/14 08:43:00 | Paul Corcoran |
Re:Oliver Gibb | 15/05/14 10:48:00 | John Hickman |
Re:Re:Indoctrination | 15/05/14 11:43:00 | Colin Jordan |
Re:Re:Re:Indoctrination | 15/05/14 12:14:00 | Claudia Jachtmann |
Re:Oliver Gibb | 15/05/14 12:40:00 | Oliver Gibb |
Re:Re:Oliver Gibb | 15/05/14 12:44:00 | Pete Mayes |
Re:Re:Re:Oliver Gibb | 15/05/14 17:35:00 | Colin Jordan |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Oliver Gibb | 15/05/14 17:44:00 | Claudia Jachtmann |
for Colin | 15/05/14 17:50:00 | Claudia Jachtmann |
Re:Re:Oliver Gibb | 15/05/14 22:15:00 | John Hickman |
Re:Re:Re:Oliver Gibb | 15/05/14 22:27:00 | Nikki Howard |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Oliver Gibb | 16/05/14 07:47:00 | Colin Jordan |
it worked Colin | 16/05/14 11:31:00 | Claudia Jachtmann |
Re:it worked Colin | 16/05/14 11:33:00 | Claudia Jachtmann |
Re:Re:Oliver Gibb | 16/05/14 08:11:00 | Paul Corcoran |
Re:Re:Re:Oliver Gibb | 16/05/14 13:56:00 | Colin Jordan |
Re:Trojan Horse | 07/06/14 19:38:00 | Janine Jarvis |
Re:Re:Trojan Horse | 07/06/14 21:37:00 | Julian Pavey |
Re:Re:Re:Trojan Horse | 07/06/14 21:49:00 | Andy Pease |
Re:Re:winding up the spammers | 07/06/14 23:38:00 | bobby osborne |
Re:Re:Re:winding up the spammers | 08/06/14 00:38:00 | Nikki Howard |
Re:Re:Re:Re: Someone missed a trick | 08/06/14 12:41:00 | Vanessa Smith |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Someone missed a trick | 08/06/14 17:30:00 | Alastair Banton |
see this link | 12/06/14 08:18:00 | Janine Jarvis |
Re:see this link | 12/06/14 09:46:00 | Andy Pease |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Someone missed a trick | 12/06/14 09:47:00 | Richard Greenhough |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Someone missed a trick | 12/06/14 10:24:00 | Vanessa Smith |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Someone missed a trick | 12/06/14 10:29:00 | Alastair Banton |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Someone missed a trick | 12/06/14 10:30:00 | Alastair Banton |
Possible double standards..? | 12/06/14 10:36:00 | Keith Iddon |
Possible double standards..? | 12/06/14 10:36:00 | Keith Iddon |
Re:Possible double standards..? | 12/06/14 14:06:00 | Alan Clark |
Re:Re:Possible double standards..? | 12/06/14 16:29:00 | Alastair Banton |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Someone missed a trick | 12/06/14 12:37:00 | Claire Moran |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Someone missed a trick | 12/06/14 16:34:00 | Michael Brown |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Someone missed a trick | 12/06/14 16:40:00 | Michael Brown |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Someone missed a trick | 12/06/14 18:21:00 | Richard Greenhough |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Someone missed a trick | 12/06/14 18:25:00 | Michael Brown |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Someone missed a trick | 12/06/14 18:36:00 | Francis Rowe |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Someone missed a trick | 12/06/14 22:03:00 | Claire Moran |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Someone missed a trick | 13/06/14 00:48:00 | Greg Walker |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Someone missed a trick | 13/06/14 22:15:00 | Pete Mayes |
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Someone missed a trick | 13/06/14 10:17:00 | Vanessa Smith |