If you were to read the headline on ePolitix.com you'd get the impression that Ruth Kelly had made a significant and large announcement. But when you actually look at what she said she said very little.
The official line is that she said Islamic schools that promote isolationism and extremism should be closed, but that it would be wrong to have a blanket ban on all Islamic schools. So, reading between the lines, if an Islamic school is officially designated as a school and is foundd to be promoting extremism it will be closed. What a out the ones that are not?
Basically, Kelly said nothing particularly new in her statement. If an ordinary school was found to be promoting Nazism it would be closed as well. The problem though is not the schools for the most part, it is the lessons that are external of the educational system where the problem occurs.
Ruth Kelly may get headlines for appearing to be "tough", but really she's hasn't said anything that wasn't alreayd the case, and the "policy" will do very little to tackle a problem that occurs beneath the radar of the Department of Education.
1 comment:
The remit of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion does not include "faith schools". Anyway the commission is purely a device to shut down any discussion of immigration etc for the next, what, 12 months. Any comment will be met with a response on the lines that that "we're looking at it - don't anticipate the findings - shut up, you're being unhelpful and . .er . . racist"
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