One of the UK’s leading Islamic organisations has warned that plans to revise the school history curriculum risk ignoring the Muslim contribution to western civilisation – an omission that will only foster alienation.
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), which claims to represent more than 500 Islamic organisations, is calling for “everyone who cares about the education of British schoolchildren” to lobby the Department for Education (DfE) as the end of the consultation period on the plans looms.
While conceding that history “has always been the most controversial subject in the school curriculum”, the MCB says it is “deeply disappointed” that the DfE’s draft specification makes no reference to Muslims and Islam. The consultation period closes on Tuesday.
An estimated 10% of children in Britain’s schools are Muslim, but the MCB says the proposed new curriculum will not recognise the role Muslims have played in shaping a multicultural Britain and Europe.
See also “Every British child deserves to relate to Britain’s history”, MCB press release, 12 April 2013