Raising Muslim Achievement: Parents, Curriculum and Schools

To be held at Kingston University, Penrhyn Road Campus, London

Saturday 22nd  September 2012

There are over 400,000 Muslim pupils in full-time school education, more than 96% of whom are being educated in the maintained (state) sector. 

There is a substantial lack of representation and involvement from the Muslim community in the state school sector particularly on school governing bodies and the teaching profession.

Significant challenges include academic underachievement for a large proportion of Muslim children and the development of Islamic character, e.g. issues relating to spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. 

We consider the active and influential participation of the Muslim community in maintained (state) schools to be essential in bringing about significant improvements in the educational fortunes of Muslim children.

This conference aims to provide a platform to understand the factors behind this lack of achievement by including all stake holders; teachers, parents, governors, and schools. Through the seminars and workshops we will address and discuss ways forward in how we can each play a part in raising achievement.

Key speakers:           

• Tahir Alam, Governance Consultant and Trainer
  Evaluating performance and the current educational landscape
  
• Shahid Akmal, Chair of the Muslim Parents Association
  Parenting for educational excellence
• Dr Matthew Tariq Wilkinson, Research Fellow at Cambridge Muslim College
  Moving towards a Muslim inclusive curriculum
  

Raising Achievement Workshops:

• Curriculum: Improving Muslim achievement through the curriculum
  Maurice Irfan Coles, Director of the Islam and Citizenship in Education Project
• Governors & Governance: The impact of governors on raising achievement
  Asif Muhammad, Chairman of the Association of Muslim Governors
  
• Racism & Islamophobia: Recognizing the realities and overcoming the challenges
  Dr Leon Moosavi, sociologist on race and religion
•  Pupils & Parents: Parenting for the 21^st Century
  Shahid Akmal
•  Faith & Education: Addressing the challenges of incorporating faith in education
  Hardeep Saini, Depty Head, Park View High School, Birmingham
  -          with Monzoor Hussain, Assistant Deputy Head with, Park View High School, Birmingham