One of the fundamental aim of Muslim schools is to help the children to develop Islamic Identity which is crucial for mental, emotional and personality development.

Without a positive co-relation between school and home the education of children will suffer and hinder their academic progress.

There is plenty of evidence to support why majority of Muslim pupils have been leaving schools with low grades or without any qualification. State schools have even failed to teach Standard English to Muslim pupils.

The result is that they could not follow National Curriculum to do better in exams.

I feel students then suffer from an Identity Crises.

In the 60s and 70s, Muslim community especially from the sub-continent was busy in setting up Masajid for congregational prayers as well as for the education of Muslim children, mainly teaching the Holly Quran in Arabic and Urdu language.

Most of Islamic literature and poetry is in Urdu, therefore, it's teaching is essential to keep in touch with their cultural roots. Evening or weekend teaching in Masajid could not help Muslim children to develop Islamic Identity.

In the beginning of 80s, full time Muslim schools started emerging and now there are 102 schools and four of them have achieved state funding. They follow National Curriculum along with Islamic Studies, Arabic languages for all Muslim pupils and also Urdu language for the pupils from the sub-continent.

There are many parents who have sent their children to Pakistan for education and there are others who are reluctant to bring their children, because they fear that their children will be lost in the so-called Western civilization.

Majority of Muslim pupils attend state schools because there is a shortages of Muslim schools and majority of Muslim parents are unable to pay fees. Priority should be given to Muslim pupils for admission and there is no place for non-Muslim pupils and teachers in Muslim schools.

There was a time when Church schools were reluctant to admit non-Christians but now there is no alternative left for them but to admit Muslim children.

There are hundreds of state schools where Muslim pupils are in majority and in my opinion all such schools should be designated as Muslim community schools under the control and management of Muslim educational Trusts or Charities.

Iftikhar Ahmad

London School of Islamics

An Educational Trust

Margery Park Road, London