The Age [Australia], March 28 2003
Minister urges watch on Islamic schools
March 28 2003
By Orietta Guerrera, Andra Jackson
Federal Education Minister Brendan Nelson has written to his state counterparts
asking them to ensure Islamic schools were meeting curriculum requirements, and
not encouraging anti-Christian and anti-Western sentiments among their students.
In the letter, tabled in Queensland Parliament yesterday, Dr Nelson wrote that he had
received letters from citizens concerned that such feelings were being fostered.
Dr Nelson said he was confident that was not the case and praised the charter
Islamic schools had adopted promoting peace and mutual respect.
However, he said he was concerned negative sentiments about Islamic schools could
spread, and reminded the state and territory governments it was their responsibility to
ensure non-government schools were meeting their teaching and curriculum
requirements.
"I think in these times it is important that we can assure the wider Australian
community that these state inspection regimes are rigorous and provide a firm basis
for guaranteeing the quality and content of teaching and curriculum not just for Islamic
but for all non-government schools," Dr Nelson wrote.
In tabling the letter, Queensland Education Minister Anna Bligh said that if Dr Nelson
had received such letters from concerned citizens, he should have acted immediately
to allay such fears.
"By issuing a 'please explain' to state education ministers on the quality of Islamic
schools he has used his position to add weight to these unfounded fears and to pour
petrol on the fire of prejudice," Ms Bligh said.
A spokesman for Dr Nelson said he was disappointed Ms Blight "would seek to
politicise such a sensitive issue".
"This was a private letter from the federal minister to his Queensland counterpart," the
spokesman said.
The chairman of the Australian Council for Islamic Education in Schools, Mohamed
Hassan, expressed his disappointment at the minister's comments, which he
described as hypocritical.
He said he had been sent a very different letter from Dr Nelson two months ago after
sending the minister a copy of the Muslim Schools' Charter, which applies to
Victoria's six Islamic schools.
Then Dr Nelson wrote: "I am pleased that the Australian Council for Islamic Education
in Schools has taken the initiative to develop such a charter to promote peace,
understanding and mutual respect in our community."
Mr Hassan said: "We are very much part of Australia. We are teaching our children to
be good citizens."
The principal of Ilim College of Australia, in Dallas, Yusuf Kirca, said he was shocked
at learning of the letter and would refer it to the school's parents.
"Islamic schools follow the Australian history and education curriculum, just as other
schools that are teaching Christian or orthodox religion," he said.
The principal of Coburg's King Khalid Islamic College of Victoria, Salah Salman, said
the letter had not worried him. "What (Dr Nelson) said, is that in his understanding the
concern is not true," Mr Salman said.
But he said it could put the schools under undue scrutiny.
Copyright © 2002 The Age Company Ltd
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