Print

UK SCHOOL PUNISHES BOYS FOR REFUSING TO PRAY TO ALLAH  

Story Image

DEVOUT: Muslims at prayer

Daily Express , By Tony Brooks

PARENTS voiced their anger yesterday after two schoolboys were given detention for refusing to kneel and “pray” to Allah.

 

The non-Muslim 12-year-olds had been taking part in a practical demonstration of Islam in a religious education lesson.

Classmates were also told to wear Muslim headgear and their teacher asked pupils for bottles of water to illustrate feet washing.


Furious parents claimed their children’s rights were breached by being forced to behave in a manner contrary to their religion.

 

Alsager School 

 Alsager School, near Stoke, has received furious complaints from parents after two Year 7 boys were punished for refusing to kneel to Allah during a religious studies class

 

It happened on Tuesday at the 1,210-pupil Alsager High School near Crewe, Cheshire, which has only a handful of ethnic minority pupils. The female religious education teacher is Welsh.


Karen Williams, 38, whose 12-year-old daughter was in the class, said: “This is not acceptable. I do not have a problem with my child being taught about other religions, but this was going far too far.”

 

She said the teacher made the class watch a short film about Islam before producing prayer mats and telling them: “We are now going to pray to Allah.”

 

The two boys refused and were given detention and told they were being “disrespectful”.


“Not only was it forced upon them but my daughter was told off for not doing it right,” said Mrs Williams. 


“Like the rest of the class she had never done it before. They were even supposed to do it in another language. 


“The teacher then asked the class if someone had any water to wash their feet. In essence my child was being forced to behave like a Muslim and pray to Allah.”


She added: “It is a fantastic school but what happened was a big mistake and people should know about it. The teacher took away the children’s human rights.”


Her husband Keith, 44, said: “I understand you have to teach different religions because we live in a multi-cultural society – but you don’t have to practise them.”


The grandfather of another pupil in the same class said: “It is absolutely disgusting. My daughter and a lot of other mothers are furious about their children being made to kneel on the floor and pray to Islam and face detention if they refuse. That can’t be right.”


Sharon Luinen, 35, whose 12-year-old daughter attended a separate class by the same teacher the day before, said they were also told to pray to Allah.


She said: “The school is excellent and my daughter is happy there but this was a ridiculous thing to do.


“This lady made a mistake. My girl’s class had to wash their hands with water and two were given Muslim headgear to wear. 


“I accept they need to know a certain amount about other religions, and I can live with that, but not in this way.”


Nick Seaton, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, described the teacher’s behaviour as “disgraceful and grossly unfair”.


He said: “It is very easy for youngsters to be confused by issues of faith. In these circumstances you would expect the teacher to tread very warily but this does not appear to be the case.


“What appears to have happened here is tantamount to asking a class of Muslim children to recite the Lord’s Prayer to teach them about Christianity. Somehow I cannot imagine that happening.”


The school’s deputy head teacher Keith Plant said: “I have spoken to the teacher and she has articulately given me her version of events but I do not feel I can comment further.”


Parents rate the school highly and latest examination figures show 65 per cent of pupils gained A* to C grades at GCSE including English and Maths, compared with a national average of 46 per cent.


Council officials say only a “tiny” number of pupils are from an ethnic minority. Cheshire County Council spokesman Ian Callister said: “The headteacher contacted the authority immediately complaints were received. 


“Inquiries are being made into the circumstances as a matter of urgency and all parents will be informed accordingly.”


He added: “Educating children in the beliefs of different faiths is part of Cheshire’s diversity curriculum on the basis that knowledge is, of course, essential to understanding.


“But we accept that such teaching has to be conducted with common sense and sensitivity.”