Since the implementation of the Prevent strategy, 400 Muslim children under the age of 10 have been referred to the ‘anti-radicalisation’ programme
Earlier this week, Ofsted head Michael Wilshaw confirmed that inspectors can downgrade schools if they feel that the wearing of the niqab – by either teachers or pupils – is impairing learning. Phrased like this, it seems a reasonable policy.
In reality, however, opening the door to penalising the wearing of Islamic dress in this way is deeply worrying.
For a start, it’s unclear exactly why the niqab might be an obstacle to learning. Muslims have been teaching, learning and otherwise communicating wearing the full-face veil for centuries in Islamic countries all around the world.
It’s also unclear why Wilshaw feels the need to single out the niqab: if inspectors feel that learning is being impaired in any way, by any item of dress or obstacle to communication, surely they are able to reflect that in their report without the niqab being specified as a potential reason for an ‘inadequate’ rating.
But this policy is particularly concerning given that it follows a trend in recent weeks and months that has seen the practise, expression or even discussion of Islam in schools as suspicious.
Since the implementation of the ‘Prevent’ strategy, 400 Muslim children under the age of 10 have been referred to the ‘anti-radicalisation’ programme, and new E-safety legislation is forcing schools to install software which tracks the use of words such as ‘Pakistan’, ‘Islam’ and ‘Quran’.
Launching a new ‘Educate against Hate’ website this week which encourages teachers to look out for ‘warning signs’ of radicalisation such as rapid conversion to religion, Education secretary Nicky Morgan admitted that conversion to Christianity ‘of course’ doesn’t count as one such warning sign – showing the clear disparity between the treatment of Christians and Muslims in this country.
When we make young Muslim children feel monitored, isolated and demonised for practising their religion in our schools, we damage irreparably community cohesion, trust and mutual respect. We lose the potential for discussion of difficult but important topics – and opportunities for truly valuable learning. Children in this country are at risk of radicalisation – but we need to tackle this through education, not demonisation.
Indeed, if Michael Wilshaw wants to eliminate barriers to learning in schools, he should perhaps look to the overassessment, rigid focus on examinations and targets, and back-breaking teacher workload which now characterise our education system. Allowing both teachers and pupils to teach, learn – and wear – what they like would do children a world of good.
Sophie van der Ham is co-chair of the Young Greens
95 Responses to “Comment: Ofsted – not the niqab – is impairing learning in schools”
Hotfudge
Why are you making excuses for the face-veil? Even if it is a matter of individual choice for SOME adults, can children really be making a free choice to wear it?
Muslim feminists have been challenging the ideology behind the face-veil for decades. The Egyptian activist Hoda Shaarawi took it off in public in 1923, to great applause.
What sort of left-wing feminist are you?
Francine Palant
Sorry, let’s be clear wearing a Niqab impairs every aspects of a normal life not just education. Have you tried one? Try to cross the road? Try to watch your class with no lateral vision. Name one country where wearing the Niqab is compulsory ( or even just common) and where women are treated equally to men. Not One! So stop defending the indefensible!
jesus
Right now Britain and Europe are on the brink of the abyss and reading articles like this reassures me that when the food starts running out it won’t be the right wingers that go hungry. Enjoy your delusions whilst the power is still on you lefty retards.
Freddy Bin Yusuf
Why is Sophie referring to chattels this way? They are property, not schoolchildren.
Dave
You can also vote in Israeli elections regardless of your religion and some 1.5 million Muslims do just that. Some Bedouin Muslims even fight with the Israeli army. Jews cannot vote in Saudi Arabia because Saudi Arabia drove all the Jews out of the country shortly after Israel was formed – which turned out to be rather convenient for them. You never hear this stuff on the BBC.