UK's strictest Headmistress taken to school over banning prayers in the playground

[cakeorwine]

Top London school taken to high court over prayer ban | London | The Guardian

I don't believe that schools should have a compulsory act of worship.
However - it seems that there has been a ban on prayer rituals on the premises.

"The prayer policy was introduced in March last year by the school’s founder, Katharine Birbalsingh – frequently described as Britain’s strictest headteacher – when the school found itself the target of abuse and harassment after pupils were seen praying in the school playground by passersby. About 30 students took part, some kneeling on their blazers as they were not permitted to bring in prayer mats, the court heard.
Before these events, the court heard that prayers were not expressly banned at Michaela, though it had no dedicated prayer room. The new policy had the “practical effect of only preventing Muslims from praying because their prayer by nature has a ritualised nature rather than being internal”, the court heard.
The pupil’s lawyer said it was in effect “a ban uniquely on Muslim prayer”, stopping pupils praying “at a time as required by Islam”. In contrast, it would not, she said, prevent a Christian child sitting quietly in the corner of the playground from praying"

I think it seems that prayer mats were banned - and I think it seems they were banned from kneeling on blazers.

If someone wants to pray in the playground voluntarily, then they should be able to. It's not an act of compulsory worship.

I can see why they wanted this kept quiet.

I think it's ridiculous that kids are praying so many times during a school day. I find this level of religious fervour is concerning.

Maybe, but I can't see how this is relevant to anything.

So many times? Once a day! It's also usually once a week (Friday - although more frequent in Ramadan). Would you say the same about the daily prayer in my children's school (twice a day sometimes if you include 'grace'). Prayer isn't religious fervour. It can often be a time of quiet reflection (perfect in the middle of the school day). These are teenagers. Why can't they choose themselves. Religion is a protected characteristic

You’re being quite dense aren’t you?

Surely providing a room to quietly take time out to pray and reflect is a good thing and will improve learning. If it’s not hurting anyone why has she made it such a big deal. So many schools have provided a room for pupils to take time to pray without issue, why is this school being so divisive? Also seeing others praying would help students to respect other faiths and beliefs.

It’s irrelevant whether people like it, or don’t like it, or think it’s unnecessary, or didn’t do it when they went to school, or think all schools should be secular or anything else.

As it stands mainstream state schools are not allowed to discriminate in their intake against any particular religion. Banning prayer has the effect of banning some practicing Muslims from becoming pupils, which contravenes the Equality Act 2010.

If there wasn’t an issue with it it wouldn’t have got to the high court.

Parents choose to send their children to this highly sought after school because this head teacher gets results. No point in doing that and then expecting her to bend to your will. Either accept that she makes the rules, or seek an alternative establishment for your child.

I would ban all prayers in state schools and get rid of this ridiculous nonsense of talking about god like its existence is incontrovertible fact. Schools are supposed to teach children facts, and religious beliefs taught as accepted reality, contradicts this. I'd like complete separation of church and state. Religion should have no part in the legal, political or educational institutions of this country.

School rules don't override the law. Let's see what the judge has to say.

It's once a day, maybe twice in winter. Would you be equally concerned about Christian children saying prayers at assembly and grace before lunch?

Whether you would or not isn't the question. That's not the legal situation in this country. All state schools are either a specific religion or have a 'Christian ethos'. We don't have a separation of church and state. The bishops sit in the House of Lords.
You might want different but legally we are not a secular state.

I don't believe we should have collective worship.

However, if someone wants to say Grace themselves before food or to pray themselves in a prayer room in lunchtime, then I don't have a problem with that.

I have a problem with people being told they HAVE to say Grace or they HAVE to take part in collective worship.

This is different.

Collective worship is a requirement in English schools. Most schools fudge it.

No, they were praying in a public space as they were denied a private space. Most (if not all) other schools provide a private space for this.

I bet there would be outrage from the media if she had banned Christian children from doing their own prayer before a meal at one of their shared lunches.

I lived in a mainly muslim country until I was eight, I would say at least half of the muslim children at school completed prayer at school.

I have never known of a Muslim being upset enough about a prayer to refuse a place in a good school. Muslims prioritise a sound education for their children. Family will take care of religious practice.

Exactly Sammy. The school claim it is made clear there is no separate area for prayer yet parents are queuing up to send their children there with approx 50% being Muslim,

So either it doesn’t matter that much and prayer is optional or it does matter in which case look at another school that will better accommodate you. . Or maybe it's a case of 'I don't care what I'm told, it's my rights'. There are lots of things that aren't accommodated for in schools and people have to make different choices.

I can't imagine that a Christian child praying would be stopped because it would be done quietly at the table. In fact as far as I am aware Christian's just sit quietly and pray. The issue here seems to be that this is being done in the playground, drawing a lot of negative attention because a special room isn't being provided.

schools can't have rules that go against the legislature of the country they are in.

and why should Muslim students of that area be deprived of going to a better school because they are effectively discriminating against them?

and how exactly do you think Muslims pray? it is also (usually) silent. all prayers can be done silently. the compulsory prayers requires bowing and kneeling which is not exactly obtrusive.

Utter nonsense is what you've dribbled. I was born into a family to muslim parents and renounced it at 11 for reasons such as this one rearing it's head here. Here forcing your view, forcing your religion, forcing your reality as the only version. Intent on erasing a country's culture and another's reality. No tolerance what so ever but insist on the full gamut of all you can get. Shame!

How about celebrating the diversity of playing at lunch time which is what the school's regulation is!

Deal with the issues of intimidation, if needs be exclude those pupils who are doing it in extreme cases. Not what has been done, and as noted in an earlier comment, seems contrary to the Equalities Act 2010 in my opinion.

I'm a practising member of an organised religion. I believe in the freedom of expression off faith and freedom to reject all religions.

However, I do not support schools (or workplaces) providing spaces for prayer for any religion. If an individual wants to pray, meditate or anything else not directly related to education (or their work) that's up to them to do it privately on their own time.

Providing prayer rooms or allowing children participate in public acts of prayer is completely at odds with secular education. If a parent wants that for their child they should send the child to a school ran with the relevant religious ethos.

We don't have secular education in state schools!

Schools that are not faith based are secular?
There is no requirement for a school to associate itself with a faith.
Religion is on the curriculum as a subject but it's not mandatory for a school to be religious.
My understanding of the school in question is that it's not aligned to any religion.