 prepared to bear the extra costs incurred
- Faith schools have better than average educational outcomes, and thus prepare their students more effectively for the world of work, which in itself promotes cohesion
- Faith schools have a good record of preventing the bullying of members of minority groups
Conway acknowledges that there are concerns about some independent Muslim schools, run by groups with affiliations to extremist elements of Islam. However, he argues that 'Islam is no more inherently illiberal than other major religions' and if there were more Muslim schools in the maintained sector it would strengthen the position of moderate Muslims. In so far as some independent Muslim schools are damaging social cohesion and even threatening the safety of the wider community, we rely on Ofsted to exercise 'their current powers of inspection and regulation to enforce compliance with all the statutory requirements schools must fulfil to be able lawfully to operate' (p.138). Unfortunately Ofsted seems to have become a 'toothless tiger in relation to many independent Muslim schools', some of which 'will remain a grave potential threat to community cohesion no matter what they might be nominally required to teach. It is not faith schools as such that pose a problem for community cohesion today. Rather it is the agencies of the state responsible for their inspection and regulation… As with so much else that is wrong in British life today, the remedy lies in government doing less, but in doing that less much better' (p.139).
For more information contact David Conway on: 020 7799 6677
Disunited Kingdom: How the government's community cohesion agenda undermines British identity and nationhood by David Conway is published by Civitas, ISBN 978-1-906837-05-1, price £12.75 inc pp. Tel 020 7799 6677.
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