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.

Common sense has prevailed.

I bet she's not paying for these "cases" out of her own pocket

That sounds a bit bonkers (football match). I can't imagine that prayer times can always be accommodated - what if you're a train driver?
I've been thinking about the court case and on reflection I think that pupils to whom this is really important should go to a different school where provision is made.

I have to say that it seems like a strange decision. I fully understand the rules being there to aid integration, if it were creating issues. My understanding was that it had caused some divisions amongst the muslim pupils re their faith. And I understand the practicalities of policing students in classrooms. The school has a significant Muslim population so they might find it difficult to roll out if the practice spread. I do think that headteachers and govenors are usually best placed to make the decisions in their own schools re identifying issues. However, i agree with the pupil (whom i thought sounded very gracious and measured) that the schools approach is inconsistent as they allow headscarves to be worn etc. The biggest issue that i have with the decision is the argument that it was banned because the school and children were subject to threats of violence from the public who witnessed the children praying. Surely that is the biggest issue here and one for the police. The school, nor pupils, should not have to adapt their practices as a result of intimidation and threats.

But my understanding of the case was that other muslim children were being put under pressure to pray by their peers and that was causing issues.

I'm not sure of the ins and outs and I'm sure it's been mentioned but shouldn't we just remove all these issues and go to secular?

Religion and choosing a religion really should be down to individual choice and school is an should be a free space for individuals to be free and explore who they are... In terms of ideas?

In all straightforward honesty, I think we should prohibit all religion.

No churches or mosques or hijabs, in any public place. No religious education, and ideally, enforced (I don't know how). Religion should be private practice only, behind your own front door, in private. Doesn't stop community ventures. Religion is becoming ever more divisive.

No churches in any public place? Are you for real? You think we should just demolish Westminster Abbey etc?

@PhuckyNell - pretty happy with it and hopefully so clear a result that an appeal is either refused or goes nowhere.

No religion would mean living in a country like North Korea or China.

I would prefer all state schools to be non religious but I cannot understand why anyone would like to proscribe what people can and cannot have the right to believe in.

Let people pray at school and the workplace and anyplace.

It sounds to me that this family want to bring vexatious claims against the school and scrounge a bit of money.
If they think the school is that bad - surely they should pull the child out and not send the younger child to it.

Some people have nothing better to do with their time than waste everyone else's.

I don't agree with policing what people want to wear. Iran does this and women have died as a consequence.

I do think schools should be secular though.

Why hijabs? Why aren’t yarmulkes, habits, turbans, sari, kurtah, angarkha, choghah, chivara banned from public places?

Why are synogogues or temple allowed, but not churches or mosques? You are aware that churches and mosques are built on private land.

I agree, except theory of course. School is for schooling and education only, those friendships build in a neutral environment will bond children, throwing in anything to put in barriers or differences betweeen children is not helpful.
I also hate the fact that children shouldn't be subjected to indoctrination at school either