| 07 Dec 2006
The Muslim Council of Britain’s Books for Schools project of resourced teaching packs will be launched in the London Borough of Merton at the Chaucer Centre on 7 December 2006 at 4pm. The launch will be attended by Dave Hill, Director of Children’s Services at the London Borough of Merton, Sir Iqbal Sacranie, former Secretary General and the chair of European & International Affairs committee of the Muslim Council of Britain, Mr. M. M. Rana, chairman of British Muslim Association of Merton, Merton primary school headteachers and other community workers. The British Muslim Association of Merton in association with other donors has funded the resource teaching packs for Merton schools. The Islamic resource packs for schools are designed to facilitate the teaching of Islam, which is already part of the national schools curriculum, alongside the teaching of other world religions. Resource packs are made up of books, artefacts, CDs, videos and tailor-made teaching aids for primary children at Key Stage 1 (7 year olds) and Key Stage 2 (11 year olds). The resource packs cover basic Muslim beliefs and practices through engaging and interactive class and small group projects. The books and other resources are being utilised by hundreds of schools in the United Kingdom with excellent feedback from school staff. Colin Manning, Head Teacher of North Reddish Junior School in Stockport, said: `The future is in the hands of young people in our schools today. The better they understand each other, the more secure that future will be. The Books for Schools project can make a significant contribution to that understanding’. Sir Iqbal Sacranie, the former Secretary General and the chair of European & International Affairs committee of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: `We believe education is the key to creating a vibrant and understanding society. These resources, developed by our team of educationalists, aim to overcome the barriers to the teaching of Islam experienced by so many of our teachers, by making available creative, engaging and child-friendly resources on Islam and Muslims. We want to ensure that every school child has access to high quality Islamic resources in their schools’. Mr. M. M. Rana, the chairman of British Muslim Association of Merton, said: `I have had the opportunity to explore the various resources within the pack and believe this is a really excellent collection of material which can greatly assist the understanding of Islam, both for teachers and children. In this way it can make a valuable contribution to community cohesion’. [ENDS] [ENDS] |
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