Public opposition is hampering plans to expand the number of state-funded Muslim schools, a leading Muslim headteacher said yesterday, as the Government confirmed plans to encourage the growth of faith schools.
Mohamed Mukadam, the chairman of the Association of Muslim Schools, said that while there was a “huge demand” in the Muslim community for more state schools, local Muslim organisations encountered “a lot of negativity” when proposing to set up new schools. The perception that Muslim schools could be a breeding ground for fundamentalists could make negotiations with local authorities “quite difficult”, he said.