A petition has been launched calling for Michaela School in Wembley, where Home Secertary Suella Braverman was one of the founders and the first Chair of Governors, to provide a Prayer Room for students. By noon Thursday the petition had 4,323 signatories.
The petition makes a number of allegations about the treatment of Muslim pupils in the school and claims that this is disturbing 'Islamophobic' behaviour:
A school that prides itself on being “multi cultural” and “multi faith” is treating their Muslim students in this way?? What’s worse is that this school is majority Muslim students and there is no prayer room designated for them. Students have requested for a prayer room which has been refused by the school and so they have to pray on the floor outside.
The petition asks students who have experienced such treatment and concerned parents to get in touch because the petitioner wants to escalate the issue to the 'school board' (Board of Governors) and the local council.
Michaela is a free school so not under the direct oversight of Brent Council, but the local authority does have responsibility for the safeguarding and wellbeing of all children in the borough.
You can read the Petition in full HERE
Both Michaela Community School and Brent Council were asked for a comment yesterday but neither had responded by the time this was published today.
UPDATE: No comment from either by noon today despite social media commentary.
16 comments:
UK Parliament Website.
There is currently no legal requirement for schools to allow their pupils time within the school day to pray upon request, nor are they required to provide any pupil with a physical space, such as a prayer room, to conduct their prayers.20 Feb 2023.
That is te legal position as it stands.
If you provided special places for one religion you’d have to provide special places for all religions and I don’t think pagan blood letting benches are appropriate for schools.
Even if there is no legal requirement there must be a modicum of common sense here! It makes sense to make the school more appealing to Muslim students by allowing them a private space to carry out their obligatory prayers. This does not have to be exclusively for Muslim students. A quiet room can be of benefit to all students if they need a place for prayer or quiet reflection. It just makes sense!
I agree. In the Wembley primary school in which I worked we had a Reflection Room which was used by pupils of all faiths and none. It was not a problem.
Martin
The Reflection Room in most High Schools is where they send you when you have Detention, to reflect on your bad behaviour.
How depressing. It is awful how positive actions can be subverted by the system. 'Pupil Voice' meant to represent pupil contributions to the ethos and running of the school becomes a public relations exercise with the pupils boosting the school's image to the community. I was given a leaving present of a bench in the playground of one of my schools - a place where children could sit and chat and relax. On visiting I discovered that it was being used as time out in my name. 'Go and sit on Martin's bench until you know how to behave!'
Since Michaela School opened in 2014, are we to assume that the demographic of pupils attending has not changed that much, and if that is the case.........
Why now has this become an issue?
What has happened in previous years during Ramadan? or at any other time these pupils wish to observe their faith.
Who is heading up this petition?, Pupil Parent or a Another?
From reading a previous comment this is not a legal requirement.
The school is already appealing to muslims hence a proportion enrolled without it. There should be a separation of religion and schools like in France. That is what makes sense.
We need a Martin’s bench for Brent Councillors.
As prayer is only allowed at lunchtime and they are fasting anyway why not allow them to attend the local mosque?
How many High Schools in Brent offer a prayer room to their pupils?
Michaela is a secular school. Parents and children should be aware of this when they enrol their child. If this becomes unacceptable to them I suggest they find an alternative school.
Politically, I object to everything Michaela stands for. However, I am deeply uncomfortable with the unsubstantiated insinuations of Islamophobia in this petition. When we will learn that circulating inflammatory accusations on social media always ends badly???
Martin is nothing but left wing rabble rouser leading to disharmony amongst Brent residents
This petition was never going to go nowhere Ms.Birbalsingh is very policitically connected which has made her think she untouchable.
Michaela Community School may excel in certain academic metrics, the detrimental impact on students' mental health and overall well-being cannot be overlooked. I urge parents to carefully consider whether the school's approach aligns with their values and their child's needs. A nurturing and supportive environment is essential for a child's development, and unfortunately, I believe Michaela falls short in this critical area.
The school's military-style behavior standards can be incredibly harsh and may leave lasting negative effects on a child's mental state. Rather than fostering individuality and personal growth, the environment often feels stifling, as if students are expected to conform to a rigid mold—encouraging them to become little more than 'robots' devoid of personality.
The head teacher Ms. Birbalsingh promotes the idea of multiculturalism, but her understanding of it seems detached from reality. Despite her claims of diverse heritage, her approach often feels disingenuous, and it appears that she lacks genuine insight into the complexities of racial and cultural identities. This disconnect can lead to harmful misconceptions, such as the belief that minority students 'play the race card' to navigate challenges in life.
You are not signing up for disapline you are signing up for your child to be bullied by Adult authority. Don't do it to your child for the sake of grades. You can get the same grades at any other school.
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