Al-Nur defends separate classes for Muslims

CHANDAPIWA BAPUTAKI
Staff Writer | Thursday March 22, 2007 00:00

 

He explained that the move is informed by the choice of subjects by primary school pupils and secondary school students. Under the new school timetable, Muslims would undergo Islamic teaching in the morning when other learners take secular subjects from Monday to Thursday. In the afternoon session, the Muslims will be taught secular subjects while the rest of the learners go home.

Khan was responding to a questionnaire after it was alleged that the new system separates learners taking Islamic subjects in the morning and those not taking the subjects. It was alleged that the learners not taking the Islamic  subjects would knock off early while those taking Islamic would be engaged in the afternoon during the secular subjects which they would not otherwise have had time to take in the morning. The question was whether or not the learners  benefited equally or a certain group was given more preference over the other.

'It is important to emphasise that we do not have a Muslim and non- Muslim syllabus. What we have is a global syllabus in terms of which Muslim and non-Muslim learners may elect to take subjects offered,' Khan said. He explained that the two-stream timetable should be seen in the context of allowing for the simultaneous teaching of Islamic and secular subjects.

'The reason for the introduction of the two-stream system was to give due consideration to our non-Muslim students whose numbers have grown considerably since last year and now stands at 50 percent in the secondary division,' Khan stated.

He asserted that in the past, the arrival and departure times of the non-Muslims were the same as those of Muslims. The current system allows for better time management and more constructive usage of time, the school principal said.

Khan stated that since they have a shorter day at school, the non-Muslims have more time for sports and other afternoon extra-curricular activities. 'Standards are not compromised as both streams enjoy the same time allocation in all secular subjects and are taught by the same teachers, follow the same syllabus and write the same tests and examinations,' Khan said.

He indicated that consultations and the amended timetable were discussed and agreed on at two Parents Teachers' Association meetings. 'A circular was sent to parents on February 20 and there was not a single response. On March 6, a survey was conducted among the non- Muslim parents to gauge their feelings on the matter and 85 percent accepted the amended timetable,' Khan said.