FEATURE: Rabia Educational Establishment

It is not often that Muslims in this country have a cause to celebrate but that could be changing now. Many of us may have heard how Muslims schools such as the Zakariya Institute in Bradford have shined in Government induced league tables in the past few years. Now Rabia Girls school in Luton has attracted the attention of the local press (so far) for achieving the best GCSE results in town. Seventy-One percent of pupils taking their GCSE’s there achieved grades A to C in five subjects, well above the national average of Fifty-Three percent.

How they fared: (%)

Rabia Girls' 71
Cardinal Newman 66
Queensbury Upper 64
Icknield High 61
Denbigh High 57
Manshead Upper 49
Stopsley High 49
Challney Girls 41
Challney Boys 40
Putteridge High 35
Lealands High 34
Ashcroft High 31
Halyard High 27
South Luton 27
Lea Manor 26
Northfields Upper 22

This of course prompted me to visit the school and speak to the governors about their achievement.

I began by asking them about the origins of the school and how it came into being.
- I learnt that it was established in January 1996 in a semi-detached house and at that time had only seven pupils of primary age on the register. (It currently caters for two hundred).
It was influenced by the administrators own experiences in childhood where a predominantly atheist, secular environment created confusion and possible conflicts with Islamic principles. To elaborate this point, they gave the example of Christians and Jews having protected their children for hundreds of years (With full funding from the State) from this possible confusion. Indeed, of late, Hindus and Sikhs have also started to open their own schools in this country.

Therefore, there is a need for Muslim children to be in an environment which is conducive to their ideals and not torn between East, West and All the Rest leaving them utterly bemused.
A common view is that a lot of Muslims are unaware (This may be due to parents not having an adequate education themselves and thus not being able to define the needs of their offspring). Of those that are aware, many do not feel the urge to educate their children in an Islamic environment (Either because they have a perception that Muslim schools wouldn’t do well or that they feel daunted by the lack of facilities, resources available to Muslim schools).

Thus, there is a need to make parents aware of the necessity to become more involved in their communities. The results at Rabia Girls School and other results at Muslim schools throughout the country should end that myth while parents should co-operate and contribute to schools in their area. In fact, in those areas where there are no Muslim schools, the Muslims in that locality should take it upon themselves to establish a school as they have a stake in the Ummah's future.
Many Muslim scholars have referred to the establishment of Muslim schools as the great need of the day. Muslim Youth of today, have a great eagerness to represent Islam but many do not have the right methodology and the requisite Tarbiyah (Inculcation of the Islamic moral code and discipline).

So, those that achieve an Islamic awakening in their adult lives, although they are sincere and study Islam privately, the Islamic Shaksiyah (Muslim character) hasn’t been inculcated in their formative years. This can have its drawbacks. The most serious being the inclination to interpret Islam in our own way.

Although Madrassah's (Islamic boarding schools) exist in this country, there is a need to develop on that and create schools in our respective localities and use the English Language as the medium. This is so that we can elaborate and portray the Islamic message in its right context to the rest of our respected fellow citizens. Indeed, it is our Deeni obligation to create role models who can portray Islam in its right spirit.

So the objectives of the school maybe summarised as follows:
-To help develop children’s Tarbiyah by teaching them the basis of Imaan (faith), Ibaadah (worship), akhlaaq (character), Deeni Taleem (knowledge) and Mu'aa-sharah (social relations) so that they will grow up to be balanced, pious, upright humans in whom a great etiquette will be embedded.
-If children are brought up in line with excellent Islamic training and in pious surroundings, their Imaan in Allah will be strong and they will grow up on manners set by Islam.
-The School aims to provide a broad and balanced academic education according to the National Curriculum which meets OFSTED standards. It is committed to teach the National Curriculum in an Islamic Environment
(please refer to the advert for Rabia Girls School)

Other activities:
-In October 2000 the school expanded to include a boys school (In a seperate building) therefore completely segregated. Full time primary and secondary school for 5-16 year olds.
-Evening Maktab (Quranic teaching, Hifz, Arabic language, Tajweed and Tarbiyah) catering for One Hundred and Twenty children.
-It has become a recognised GCSE examination centre.
-The School also has a fully functioning Mosque (Masjid al-Madni)
-Study circles are held three times a week on various Islamic topics (open to all)

Future Plans:
-A-levels for over Sixteens.
-Alim Course (course to become an Islamic Scholar) in English (using English as the medium- this would be amongst the first of its kind in this country)

Achievements:
-Since the school has started, the truancy level has remained static at 0%.
-GCSE results have consistently been amongst the best in Bedfordshire, with this year having come first.
-OFSTED have praised the management for their educational structure and the discipline inculcated in the children.
-The local community has benefited immensely from the presence of an Islamic school and all its related activities.

In my discussion with the governors the difference between State schools and Islamic schools emerged. In light of Rabia Girls School finding that Govt. criteria for funding has proved to be very irksome and difficult to attain, thus their emphasis on the need for Muslims to take the initiative. They attribute their success to the undying commitment of each and every member of their staff. Each and everyone from the administrators, teachers to the children themselves have worked extremely hard despite limited resources to achieve the results that they have. It should be elaborated that the work required in running a successful Islamic school is thought to far outweigh that of a state school.

The teachers have to put in extra effort to not only teach but inculcate good manners, be role models, make the children prepared for the wider world (Many children have special needs, including language and other limitations), the Curriculum is argued to be more diverse too.

Whereas in State schools, funding is not necessarily a major issue and apart from the standard rules and regulations of the school, we find that the teachers are not always obliged to inculcate a good, sound moral character out of the children (Some argue that there is an ‘each to their own environment’ in schools, so inculcating ideals may be difficult when you don’t have any set). Talking of role models, what is the effect when Mr Smith after return from his Summer holiday turns out to be Miss Smith? (I am using a generic example for teachers who go through a sex change) What impression does that leave on young impressionable minds?

It is important to add that a lot of state schools suffer from truancy. Indeed, in Luton, there are times when public areas are rife with school children. This can lead to inevitable problems such as lack of safety and welfare of the child, exposure to ills of society such as drink, drugs, illicit sex etc.

Amongst other points discussed which the school would like to highlight to readers of the Muslim Weekly:
-Importantly, it believes that parents must work alongside staff and their children in order to aid the child's academic education and Islamic Tarbiyah.
-If children are helped and encouraged at an early age to behave according to Islam, then they will grow up loving Islam.
-The accumulation of knowledge is an appreciation of the talents the Creator has given mankind, neglect of this talent amounts to an act of ingratitude.

On that note, I would wholeheartedly agree that the main priority of today is education of young Muslims, in order to preserve and develop their Islamic identity and self-awareness. To prevent them from straying into areas best reserved for followers of ignorance, chaos and decadence. I hope the success of Rabia Educational Institute provides an impetus for other Muslim communities to create schools providing an Islamic environment and furthermore, to aim to make them the most successful schools in the country.