(Sky News) A school decided to introduce a “prayer ban” for pupils against a “backdrop of events including violence, intimidation and appalling racial harassment” of teachers, its founder has said.
Michaela Community School in Brent, north London, which was previously dubbed Britain’s strictest, is facing a legal challenge from a Muslim student who claims its approach to prayer is discriminatory and “uniquely” affects her faith.
The pupil, who cannot be named for legal reasons, alleges the school’s stance is “the kind of discrimination which makes religious minorities feel alienated from society,” a judge was told.
Amid the ongoing hearing in London the school’s headteacher, Katharine Birbalsingh, shared a statement on social media saying it was defending its “culture and ethos” and decisions to “maintain a successful and stable learning environment where children of all races and religion can thrive.”
