In the second part of Revelations, the Channel 4 series on religion, filmmaker Tanya Stephan asks the question: what would make a parent choose to send his or her child to a faith school in Britain? Does it provide a better quality education? Or is the religious aspect most important? Stephan was given access to The Nottingham Islamia School over the course of a year, following the progress of two girls: seven-year-old Zara, and 12-year-old Aysha.
For both girls, this is their first experience with a Muslim school, having previously attended state primaries. As well as the usual National Curriculum subjects, the school provides instruction in Islamic studies, Arabic and Urdu. Tuition fees are £1800 per year per child, class sizes are small, and every lunchtime the school stage doubles up as a mosque, where staff and students gather to pray. Zara attends the mixed infants section of the school, while Aysha is at the girls-only secondary.
Mums Want What’s Best
Stephan also interviews the girls’ families to try and get a clearer picture of why they have both been enrolled at the Muslim school. Zara’s mother, who attended a regular state school, felt her education did not complement the Islamic beliefs of her family. This is why she believes the Muslim school will make Zara a more rounded person. “I feel they’ve got to learn they’re British, because that’s where they stay, where they’re going to school … but I’m more concerned about them knowing they are Muslim.”
Aysha’s mother Nadia converted from Catholicism to Islam when she married Aysha’s stepfather Ishrak, who emigrated from Pakistan. For Nadia, the attractions of Islam are clear – traditional family values and respect for others. With the small class sizes and no disruptive pupils, Nadia feels this is an ideal environment for Aysha. The family recently moved to Nottingham from Grimsby, where, as Muslims, they had been the target of hostility, particularly after the 9/11 attacks.
But Do the Girls Like It?
So how well do the girls adjust to the new regime? As the only white girl at the school, Aysha could easily have become a victim of bullying, and a few students initially felt she wasn’t a “proper” Muslim. But the all-inclusive nature of the school ensured this was dealt with quickly, and by the end of the programme Aysha appears relaxed and confident among her friends.
Zara throws herself in whole-heartedly, happily embracing the new rules and rituals. Perhaps because she is at a more impressionable age, she does take to heart what she learns in Islamic studies, and appears to become more and more concerned about her older sister Aieza,
Rather than strictly following the teachings, Aieza seems caught between two cultures and is trying to find her own way to be the best British Muslim she can. But Zara is worried that unless her sister wears the hijab (headscarf) and prays much more than she does now, Aieza will go to hell. Luckily her mother is on hand to encourage Zara not to take what she is taught too literally.
MuslimSchool provides a fascinating glimpse into a world most British people would not otherwise get to see. Wisely, Tanya Stephan simply charts the girls’ progress, with no clever editing to portray the school in a particular light, or leading questions to steer the subjects in a certain direction. At the moment both girls feel they belong at the school, but it would be interesting to see if they feel the same when they hit the potentially rebellious teenage years.
