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”
RomaBob
‘…..Islamic countries all around the world.’ and there they should stay comrade, the UK is a Christian country.
Negotiated Settlement
She probably has a T shirt with “I was a feminist before it was trendy to be a feminist” emblazoned on it.
RomaBob
It’s a bugger when they throw homosexuals off a high roof for being homosexual. I wonder what they do to lesbians?
What should a comrade do and whose side should we take? Decisions, decisions.
Negotiated Settlement
Is ‘Sophie Van Der Ham’ a nom de plume for Owen Jones or Laurie Penny perchance?
Stay Puft
Let’s look at the differences in education between states where girls are segregated and wear face veils, and the left’s favourite bogeyman, Israel.
Israel produces more scientific papers per capita than any other nation – 109 per 10,000 people. Israel is at the forefront of scientific and technological progress and exploration.
Islamic countries: marriage to children is legal, rape victims are stoned to death, Jews and Christians are harassed and murdered, women have no rights, there are zero prosecutions for rape and child abuse.
But who do the deranged left side with? That’s right, the medieval lunatics of the islamic states.
Who do the left hate and wish to see wiped out? That’s right, the state that has contributed to medical and computer science, gives equal rights to women and gays and has no death penalty.
Satire is dead and buried, comrade.