Segregation at Islamic faith school is ‘unlawful sex discrimination’
Written by News on 14/10/2017
An Islamic faith school’s policy of segregating boys from girls has been ruled unlawful by leading judges.
Three judges at the Court of Appeal found that the policy of separating children by gender from Year 5 at al Hijrah school in Birmingham amounted to unlawful sex discrimination.
The appeal judges said the school’s policy caused detriment and less favourable treatment for both sets of pupils because of their sex.
As a result, it was found to be contrary to the 2010 Equality Act.
The ruling overturns last year’s finding by a High Court judge that Ofsted inspectors were wrong to penalise the co-educational school for separating students.
Following the ruling, Ofsted’s chief inspector Amanda Spielman said: "I am delighted that we have won this appeal.
"The school is teaching boys and girls entirely separately, making them walk down separate corridors, and keeping them apart at all times.
"This is discrimination and is wrong. It places these boys and girls at a disadvantage for life beyond the classroom and the workplace, and fails to prepare them for life in modern Britain."
The school believes that total separation of the sexes from Year 5 onwards is necessary for religious reasons.
Children at the school between the ages of nine and 16 are separated for all their lessons, breaks, clubs and school trips.
During the appeal hearing, the school’s lawyer said boys and girls at the school were "treated entirely equally while segregated".
He argued that the policy at al Hijrah, which is maintained by Birmingham City Council, was lawful.
But the school’s argument that "separate but equal treatment by reason of gender cannot be unlawful discrimination, even it it is detrimental" was rejected by the judges.
The ruling will have implications for other schools that segregate pupils based on their sex.
The appeal judges noted that: "The school is not the only Islamic school which operates such a policy and that a number of Jewish schools with a particular Orthodox ethos and some Christian faith schools have similar practices."
They said Ofsted had main it clear that they would apply a "consistent approach to all similarly organised schools".
Ms Spielman said Ofsted will be "considering the ruling carefully to understand how this will affect future inspections".
A Department for Education spokesperson said they welcomed the Court of Appeal’s judgement.
They said the ruling "supports the department’s long-standing position that mixed schools should only separate children by gender in very limited circumstances where this can be justified and they can demonstrate that no pupil is disadvantaged by virtue of their gender".
(c) Sky News 2017: Segregation at Islamic faith school is ‘unlawful sex discrimination’
