For Whom The Bell Tolls...

Comments by chief inspector of schools David Bell that Islamic schools posed a challenge to the coherence of British society have attracted considerable criticism. 'Lenin' has some intelligent thoughts on the issue which I recommend you read. For my part, I worry about Bell's focus on Islamic schools in a climate where anti-Muslim and Islamophobic sentiment is already high, but think that there is an important debate to be had. I would actually go much further than Bell and have felt for some time that the idea of faith schools is little more than segregated education by the back door. Pupils in faith schools may get better results in exams (a limited measure anyway and which can be explained at least in part by selection of the intake), but will lose out in other areas primarily in that they will not interact with those from other cultures. Such interaction also has the potential to benefit the wider society as it is likely to limit the potential of culturally isolationist or racist ideas.