REPORT ON SIKH CONTRIBUTION TO DISCUSSION ON FAITH

Author:  Dr Indarjit Singh

Two Sikhs, Dr Kanwaljit Kaur (Chair, British Sikh Education Council) and Indarjit Singh Director Network of Sikh Organisations, attended a small meeting with Rt. Hon. Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Education and Lord Adonis, Education Minister, and representatives of other faiths, on the afternoon of Monday 23 0ctober 06. The meeting had been called to inform faith representatives of the government’s intention to introduce legislation to require new faith schools to set aside 25% of places to people of other faiths.

All faiths indicated their opposition to quotas and compulsion, and other faiths have been quick to claim credit for the government’s sudden about turn on this issue. The reality is that the most telling points were made by the Sikh representatives and, inadvertently, by one of the Muslim representatives.

Government Ministers had indicated their concern over the possibility of indoctrination, particularly in Muslim schools. Sikhs said that the use of quotas was unhelpful social engineering, and that the blanket imposition of quotas, would be unfair on schools, like the Guru Nanak School in Hayes. The catchment area for the school comprises mostly working class families and yet the school is a national leader in educational attainment and is three times over subscribed. While those from other communities were welcome, quotas that resulted in the exclusion of Sikhs would be clearly unfair.

It was added that though there were only two Sikh teachers, the success of the school lay in a Sikh ethos of respect between teachers and pupils and emphasis on respect for all communities. The Ministers’ attention was also drawn to the fact that the school also had excellent links with other schools and with local industry and commerce.

The government ministers were clearly impressed, and promised to consider an alternative Sikh proposal for more rigorous inspections for all faith schools to measure their commitment to community cohesion.

The most telling point against the proposal to make faith schools offer 25% of places to people not of that faith was also made by Sikhs that, this can also lead to by some aggressively proselytising religious groups causing grief to the 25% pupils of minority faiths in the main faith schools. Muslim representatives stated that their schools were already trying to get 25% or more non Muslims in Muslim schools so far none have applied. The contrast was telling. Sort of forcing non Muslim children to go to a Muslim school, the proposal was impractical and would do nothing to improve community cohesion in such schools.