Leicester Muslim school's admission policies are ruled 'unlawful'
Leicester's state Islamic school has been told its admissions criteria are "unlawful" because they discriminate against a Muslim group.
The Schools Adjudicator ruled that it was wrong Madani High gave Sunni Muslims priority over Shias.
The school's policy also breaks the Sex Discrimination Act by turning away pupils to create the same number of boys and girls.
It is the second time in two years the Evington Valley Road school has been judged to have an unlawful admissions policy.
The adjudicator said it was possible Madani – which has dropped its commitment to having 10% non-Muslim pupils – would not have been approved if people thought it favoured one denomination.
The school's admissions policy says priority is given to Muslim children, and defines "Muslim" as four named groups , which are all Sunni.
Chairman of governors Hussein Suleman said there was never any intention to exclude any Muslim group, and the school was already consulting on a revised admissions policy.
"This is creating divisions which don't exist," he said.
He said the school would comply with the ruling "without compromising our philosophy".
The investigation followed a complaint understood to have come from a Shia who believed the policy was discriminatory.
Sunnis and Shias are the two main sub-groups of Islam and differ in some beliefs and practices. Sunnis make up 85% of the global Muslim population.
Coun Suleman said there were Shias at Madani, and at the school's private primary, but he said he did not know whether any had been accepted at Madani since it became a state school.
Madani is allowed to give priority to Muslim children, just as Catholic schools give priority to Catholic pupils.
It was told to define "Muslim" when a complaint against its admissions criteria was upheld in 2008.
Coun Suleman said the school decided on its definition because it was the same as that contained in the deeds of the private Leicester Islamic Academy, Madani's predecessor, written 20 years ago.
But adjudicator Dr Elizabeth Passmore said she could not "find a document currently applying to the school that designates it as being for a particular group of Muslims".
She wrote: "It seems to me the school was expected to be a Muslim faith school, equally accessible to all Muslims."
Madani must alter its admissions for September 2011. Leicester City Council said it would help the school.
12 Comments
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by riaz, leicester
Sunday, March 28 2010, 8:46AM
“the governors should have acted well before the admission policy was changed,
more parents should have spoke out ,by staying silent they are spreading extreme behaviour in the school.What are they teaching their children that its right to behave this way?
Councillor hussein Osman should be ashmed and should consider his position”
by riz, leicester
Sunday, March 28 2010, 8:44AM
“the governors should have acted well before the admission policy was changed,
more parents should have spoke out ,by staying silent they are spreading extreme behaviour in the school.What are they teaching their children that its right to behave this way?
Councillor hussein Osman should be ashmed and should consider his position”
by Ali, Leicester
Saturday, March 27 2010, 10:18PM
“It is unfortunate that the governors of Madani did not see sense and change the divisive wording. It invited the bad publicity and action to change the policy.
Councillor Hussein Osman should consider his position and will be answerable to a higher court for his causing divisions within the Ummah when none existed originally.
There are only a small number of Shias and it would not have made a big difference. Unfortunately because of the discriminatory policy wording, it caused problems where there was no need.”
by Usee, Leicester
Thursday, March 25 2010, 9:35PM
“Coun Suleman's own words, "This is creating divisions which don't exist," is laughable. I think you are the one creating divisions by some warped idea and interpretation.
ppp45 you've hit the nail on the head. The organistion needs to sort out its perceived insecurity.”
by ppp45, leicester
Thursday, March 25 2010, 8:17PM
“absolutely pathetic behaviour.
To discriminate against anyone says a lot about your insecurity. To discriminate against someone who shares your faith renders you a joke as an organisation.
Well done LM for highlighting this!”
by david, leics
Thursday, March 25 2010, 6:39PM
“"If the school is not abiding by the law, why is it not being punished? This school receives state funding and therefore should abide by the law as others do."
It is a government policy called appeasement, the Labour government under Chamberlain has the same policy.”
by Wayne, Leicester
Thursday, March 25 2010, 3:58PM
“Religion should have nothing to do with education. If people want to follow religion in their own time fair enough. All religion seems to do is cause segregation and conflict. Children should be educated about all religions and not groomed through schooling into a particular religious way of thinking.”
by Khalid, Leicester
Thursday, March 25 2010, 2:37PM
“The only problem for Muslim parents was mixed-sex schools. I am sure this is a concern for a lot of other faith groups. I would definitelty not agree with schools based on faith or race but I think the only avenue open for parents is the fact that somehow faith based schools same-sex provisions where as state schools impose mixed-sex schools.”
by John Ryde, Newbold Verdon
Thursday, March 25 2010, 1:36PM
“I wonder ?
What is the criteria for admission of Christian children, both in England and Muslin countries.”
by John Dale, Narborough
Thursday, March 25 2010, 11:59AM
“"This is creating divisions which don't exist," he said.
What on earth is this guy on? Its segregating children according to their parents' superstition which is creating divisions. ALL state schools should be open to one and all, and be free of religious dogma.”