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.

No such thing as a truly secular state school. All are meant to have communal worship. This is why some 'secular' schools are more religious than religious schools.

All schools in the U.K. must perform a daily act of collective worship, unless it’s a school aligned to another faith that should be broadly Christian in nature.

but that’s not the issue here. The issue is the school trying to ban children from practising their own faith in their own free time.

@Sirzy
To keep to the "issue" as you say....

The school head is not stopping any student privately observing their religion in their own time.
She is stopping the public expression of faith during school hours.

Stand back from this a moment. Allowing some children placing their jackets on the ground in the school yard to kneel and pray is totally unacceptable. It would be equally inappropriate if a group of catholic students wanted to kneel and say the rosary during Lent in the canteen.

She's dead right.

It is unacceptable. Nobody has said it isn’t.

what is even more unacceptable - and most likely also illegal - is not providing a private space for these students to pray during their break time.

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!

@Sunnyeverday

So you actually think that all Muslims are bloody foreigners who have no right to change the culture of the country they have arrived in. I would say most Muslims in the UK are at least third-generation British.

Some of us don't agree it's unacceptable. By saying that you are saying that every school in the uk should provide a prayer room. If they have a spare classroom fair enough but I certainly don't think this should be a consideration when building new schools

There is no place for religion in schools. As I've said unfortunately historically school premises were owned by the church and therefore they have and continue to have a say and each school needs to have a daily act of worship.

Religion can be practised out of school. There seems to be so many rules and different interpretations, schools cannot accommodate everyone and everything so there should be a minimum expectation to be adhered to.

Would you be happy with children praying in room during lunchtime?

There is a difference between organised religion in school - collective worship - and children having the time / the space to practice their religion such as by having a prayer room or being able to say Grace themselves.

Plenty of schools have rooms available at lunchtime. It does not have to be a specific prayer room. Just a room that someone can pray in.

You’re the one trying to force an untrue narrative and when you’re called out in it, respond with insults. You painted a false picture wfulst admitting you didn’t even grow up here - when someone with actual insight and experience corrects you, you clearly can’t tolerate it. Don’t care what your agenda is but your untruths will be called out whether you like it or not.

Not really.

It's just not praying together. There is a freedom to practise religion.
No one should be forced to do collective worship.
But in a secular school, children should still be able to practice religion in a way that does not interfere with school practice.

Agree

Muslims are all different (like anyone else)- there isn’t a ‘they’ to all do the same thing.

Frankly I think religion has no place in schools, they should all be secular.

I'm a staunch atheist and I agree that schools should be secular, but that doesn't mean their pupils all have to be. I'm not in favour of faith schools, but I don't think that means it's unreasonable to have a room where pupils (whatever their religion) can go and pray if they want to.

Likewise.
Schools should all be secular. There are so many religions now that allowing all pupils to practise their faith would turn a school into a Tower of Babel. If parents worry about the state of their child 's faith, let them take their child to Sunday school or synagogue or mosque or whatever.

All schools I've worked in - secular and CofE, have always had a room for students to pray in. It's usually one of the RE teachers rooms and the students are incredibly polite and no drama is caused, they just come in, do what they need to do then go off again. I dont know why Michaela can't provide that?
All schools also provided a dedicated space for lunch and break times during Ramadan too to support the students. It's a mark of respect to the children too

So no wearing headscarfs?
No turbans?

This is what gets me.

How well behaved are the pupils really or is it a facade that comes crashing down if no one is around to supervise?

What's most depressing is that so many schools are seeing this wonderful behaviour and results and are trying to emulate it in their own area. And it's blooming miserable for the children and sucks out all enjoyment of teaching and learning.
But hey, we will have all these great little cult robots in 10years time coming into the workplace.

I think you’ll find that there have always been ‘so many religions’.

Not many religions require ritual prayer at times that would interfere with school time, and even fewer children with those faith requirements will be in non faith schools- so it isn’t actually going to be anything like the Tower of Babel, is it? (Not least because the Babel story is about language, and when they build it they all speak the same one).

Its a few kids who’s faith is important to them, who for whatever reason haven’t gone to a faith school (in my area the Muslim schools are all extremely expensive), who need a quiet corner to pray for a few minutes.

It’s not much to ask is it?

@cakeorwine
It's not whether I am happy or sad with the situation. I don't think it should be incumbent on a school to facilitate public group worship to any religion. Unless it's a faith school.

@Bartoz you can think that all you like. Schools are required to offer communal worship

It's extremely arrogant for one pupil to take a school to court. Who has put her up to this and why?

Of course anyone who understands how teens operate would know that banning something immediately makes it more desirable. You would have thunk a HT would be wise to it.

On another note, I'm not wholly convinced by the value of P8 scores. DC's year 10 tracking is conservative compared to their regular exam scores. So well above average very possibly reflects under marking in lower school.

It's extremely arrogant for one pupil to take a school to court. Who has put her up to this and why?

You think schools should only be vfor docile children who will grow up to be docile adults?

And if she wins her case, that will be because the school has been breaking the law I believe.

Back in the 1930s, my grandfather took my dm's school to court because of lack of health and safety and won. Was he arrogant?

Thanks you, we're all allowed to think what we like and have different opinions.

This is not about communal worship that is required by law in the UK for all schools (though it is not monitored by Offsted and is widely ignored).

This is about a Head Teacher refusing to facilitate a group of students who want to publicly practice their faith during school hours on school property. She should not be obliged to have to provide space for this.

As a school head (one who personally I've little time for) she should be able to make decisions about how the school operates within the law that benefits the whole student body as a collective. She is in no way denying any child their freedom of religion.

In any event it's now up to the Courts to decide.