Policy Area 2: Youth and Education

Islamophobia in the education system impacts Muslim children and their development in a wide variety of ways. From being bullied explicitly regarding their faith, to being stigmatised and reported to the PREVENT strategy for views they may hold, and to being interminably questioned on their apparent divergence from (thus far ill-defined) “British Values”, Muslim children are struggling to navigate this complex maze. Meanwhile, controversies such as the alleged “Trojan Horse” affair and Amanda Spielman’s proposals as Chief Inspector of Ofsted to question schoolgirls who wear the hijab highlight the obsessive scrutiny and problematisation of Muslims within the sphere of education.

Policy Pledges:

5. Commit to prioritising PSRE and PSHE within the national curriculum and ensure grassroots Muslim organisations are enlisted to assist in developing teaching materials to educate young people on the dangers of Islamophobia.
6. Commit to supporting academic freedoms and initiatives to decolonise education, whilst giving greater emphasis within the national curriculum to shared histories and the contributions of minority communities in building our society.
7. Commit to developing training programmes for teachers focussed on tackling and addressing bullying based on race, religion, disability, or sexuality.
8. Commit to supporting faith school provisions in the state sector for Muslim pupils and parents.
9. Commit to implementing Shariah-compliant student loans to encourage more British Muslim students to attend university.