Curries are some of the most popular food in England. When families from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan began to come to England in the late 1950s and 1960s they bought many of their traditions and customs with them, including food.  Today there are nearly 9000 curry houses in the UK and they employ more than 7000 people. Most restaurants in Britain that are called ‘Indian Restaurants’ are usually owned by people originally from Bangladeshi and Pakistan and are usually Muslim. When Muslim families first set up restaurants most of their customers were other Muslims but today curries are one of the most popular types of food in Britain for all groups.

By the end of the 1990s the Balti was so popular in Birmingham that 90% of the people who visited the triangle for a curry were white. Over the years the number of Balti curry houses has shrunk but the area is still famous for its restaurants and curry houses. Today the area is full of shops that sell goods for Muslim and Asian families, like special jewellery and wedding dresses. 

The Balti triangle is between Sparkhill and Mosely in the South of Birmingham City Centre. It has traditionally been a poorer area of Birmingham where new immigrants could afford to live. Irish families, then families from the Caribbean and then families from South Asia and India moved to the area. Today they area has a growing population of people from the Sudan and Romania. The first Muslim immigrant communities came to live there in the 1960s because it was not as expensive as other areas. There was already a small Muslim community there. In 1940 two men from Yemen bought a cottage and turned it into a mosque.

The Balti was designed to appeal to Westerners and it was hoped that more white people would visit the curry houses in the centre of Birmingham. Mohammed Arif came up with the idea for the Balti after a visit to Pakistan where he saw people cooking curries in a single dish and then serving them in the same dish. The Balti became so famous that in 2015 the European Union gave it  protected status so no one can use the name without it being a ‘real Balti’.

Another thing you would have noticed is that there was very little meat, almost no spices were used in food and most would have been flavourless and mushy to our modern palates. When Asian families came to this country they struggled to find the ingredients that made their food tasty. Muslims also struggled to find food that was Halal.

Halal food is animals that are slaughtered and prepared according to the laws set down in the Muslim holy book, the Quran. Animals must be killed in such a way that the blood is drained from their body. The animals should be killed in a way that reduces the distress of the animal. No animal should be killed in front of another animal, the animal must be killed quickly and the animals should be healthy and well cared for.

Food that is forbidden  in Islam is called haram, this usually includes, pork and alcohol.

More than 1.6 million people follow a halal diet in the UK. Many Muslims buy meat that has a certificate that says it is Halal, this means it has been killed in the correct way. Lots of restaurants offer halal food and fast food restaurants are also starting to use halal meat. 

More than 100 KFC restaurants around the country are currently halal. Pizza Express uses halal approved chicken, as do about one-fifth of Nandos 270-odd restaurants in Britain.

Zubeda’s mother married her father in India and then joined her new husband in the UK. Zubeda was born in 1975 in Bolton, Lancashire, one of 7 children. She grew up in an Indian area of the city, a mixture of Hindu and Muslim families, with very few white people. At secondary school there were more white students and she experienced racism. 

Zubeda's mother was very keen that she should receive a good education. She attended madrassah school and learned Urdu, Arabic and to read the Qur'an. Although Zubeda’s mother did not speak English very well, she felt Zubeda’s school was not pushing the children.  She went to see the headmaster and asked for more homework. She had not been well-educated herself and wanted better for her children.  

Zubeda went to Manchester University and then gained a Masters in Middle Eastern Studies. For Zubeda, continuing with her education was a way to keep her parents happy while avoiding marriage. As Muslims they support education because prophet Muhammad often spoke about the value of education.

Zubeda’s father was politically active, involved in the trades union movement, and she also enjoyed politics. She worked for the Labour Party when she first graduated followed by Bolton Council. She did not want to be forced into getting married so she went travelling by herself, without her parents’ permission. She travelled around Syria, Jordan and Egypt and loved it.

Spending time in Cairo inspired Zubeda to live in a more cosmopolitan environment so she moved to Birmingham and began to work for the council.

In 2013 Zubeda co-founded a charity called ‘Connect Justice’ which aims to build trust between the police and people from ethnic minority groups. This is a necessary service and the charity is doing well. Zubeda’s other co-founders are a white convert to Islam and a white atheist. 

Zubeda’s mother wears the Islamic headscarf (hijab). For a period she wore the full face covering (niqab). After 9/11 it became harder for Muslim women to wear these items. Zubeda thinks that for Muslim women the headscarf and niqab are about their identity. She can see that when Muslims, or any community, feel excluded, they cling together, but this can increase their exclusion. This can be particularly true of women within the community. She can see why non-Muslim society finds the face-covering hard, as it limits communication, but she also supports someone’s right to choose what they wear. She thinks banning the hijab and niqab, as in France, is a bad idea.

Zubeda is not married. 5 of her siblings have married people from similar backgrounds. For her, it is more important to find someone who shares her values and outlook, whatever their ethnicity, religion or culture. She knows this upsets her parents and does not want to hurt them, so has not really discussed this with them. 

The area Fatima grew up in was poor and her upbringing was tough. There were Asian gangs selling drugs. She saw young people whose lives were ruined by drugs. 

Fatima went to sixth form college and then University to study social policy. At the time her mum wanted her to stay at home and learn to keep the house in preparation to be a good wife. However her dad was excited that she was off to Uni. He was open-mined and wanted to hear about her new experiences. Her dad really encouraged her to spread her wings. She studied social policy partly as a result of her experiences in a poor area as a child. She feels her teachers also encouraged her to move out of the area and make something of her life. 

Fatima is now married and has a child. She shares the childcare with her husband so she can work. She works for a faith-based charity looking after orphans in Pakistan. Initially the charity funded two orphanages, but has grown now to employ 30 staff in the UK. The charity can now work in more countries supporting orphans with education and homes, and also other development projects such as improving the local environment and water supply. 

Religion is important to Fatima. She wears the headscarf and feels more comfortable with it on. She prays 5 times every day. 

She benefitted from the English classes offered by Birmingham council and secured a job in a school. She hoped to become a teacher, however due to the demands of home, she ended up becoming an interpreter, which is a more flexible job. Today she works at the Magistrates court interpreting in Urdu and Punjabi. The pay is not great but she is happy to work. She does not want to just be at home. 

She does not like to see the face veil (niqab) making a resurgence. She feels that God has given her a face, and she should show it to the world. There is nothing to be ashamed of. 

She is happy for her children to make their own choices regarding who they marry. 

Initially her eldest son asked her who she wanted him to marry. She insisted it should be a Pakistani girl. Her son joked that he would marry an Egyptian. This made her examine her views and they have changed a lot. She realised she would not try to control her children as they make such an important decision. Her son has two children with a Chinese woman and they all get on very well. Above everything Fatima wants her children and grandchildren to be happy. 

Cricket was introduced to India through the British Empire. Between and British people invaded and took control of India. Thousands of British people lived in India, and brought cricket, as well as other aspects of British culture, with them. In 1947 the country of Pakistan split from India, creating a new country. Pakistan is a Muslim country, India is largely Hindu. Today cricket is the most popular game in Pakistan and a third of all people who play cricket for fun in England are from South Asian backgrounds. However only 4% of those are from a South Asian background play cricket at national level. 

Edgbaston Cricket Grounds in Birmingham is one of the most important cricket grounds in the country and the fourth biggest. It can hold up to 25,000 people and has five permanent floodlights.  Over the years Edgbaston Cricket Club has tried to support and honour black and Asian players and young people who love cricket. The Birmingham Commonwealth Cricket League was created in 1976 because there was discrimination against black, Asian and Muslim players. Their most recent initiative to support Muslims is to establish the Ramadan Cricket League (see below).

Moeen Ali grew up in Sparkhill, a poorer district of Birmingham that is sometimes called the ‘Balti triangle’ because there are so many curry houses there. To help Ali improve his game, his family remortgaged their house so they could afford to build a bowling machine in the back garden so he could practice. His family are not very religious but they all love cricket. His Dad, Munir, asked Moeen to give two years of life training hard to become a cricketer because he thought his son had talent and because he was determined that racism and prejudice wouldn’t hold his son back:

"They said it couldn't be done," Munir says. "They said that we, a poor Asian family from inner-city Birmingham, could never break through to the professional game. They said it was all for public-school boys and the rich. But the boys have shown that if you have the right attitude and ability, there is a way."

Why does he have a big beard?

When he was 19 Moeen decided to fully embrace Islam and grew his beard as a symbol of his Muslim identity. Wearing beards is important for many Muslim men because although the Quran does not say men shouldn’t shave the Prophet Muhamad had a beard.  There is saying (Hadith) from Muhammad recommending that men should ‘Cut the moustaches short and leave the beard’.

Moeen’s beard has caused a lot of controversy. Although one of the most famous (white) English cricketers of all time, W. G. Fields, grew a large beard, some think that Moeen Ali’s beard is not acceptable because he wears it as a symbol of his Muslim faith. In an interview Moeen Ali told journalists, “It’s a label for me to show that I am a Muslim and for other people to know that they can be strong in their faith and still play the sport,”

People who are prejudiced against Islam accuse Muslims of being terrorists, this has happened to Moeen. When he was playing in one of international crickets most famous competitions, The Ashes, an Australian player reportedly called him ‘Osama’ as an insult. Osama Bin laden was the leader of a terrorist group. He was from a Yemeni background and was raised in Saudi Arabia. Moeen said that although he was a Muslim, his religion didn’t mean that he wasn’t as British as anyone else in the national team.

“I was no Osama. I never had been. My England team-mates did not think so. They knew I was a devout Muslim. They respected that but didn’t find it in any way strange or weird. What is more, neither did the English fans. The beard was no longer something to be mocked or abused but accepted — as much a part of English cricket culture as WG Grace’s beard had been. My faith may be different but I was as English as the rest of the team.”   

Taken from: https://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/926493/the-making-of-moeen

Abtaha Maqsood wears a hijab, this is a scarf some Muslim women and girls wear to cover the hair. The word Hijab means ‘veil’ and Muslim women who wear it do so for many reasons. In some parts of the world most Muslim women will wear a hijab but in other countries there may be a mixture of women who do or do not cover their hair.

When she wore her hijab to play cricket for the Birmingham Phoenix, she was the first woman to wear a hijab in a professional cricket game. In an interview a journalist asked Abtaha why she wore a hijab and she said:

“Wearing a hijab was my own choice. I went away to perform Umrah with my family when I was 11, and on our way back to the UK, I saw my mum started wearing hijab. So I asked her why was she wearing that and then she told me [how it was a religious obligation], so I decided to wear one as well," said Abtaha.

[Umrah is the Hajj pilgrimage that can be taken at any time of the year, not only in the special month of Hajj]

At her first games of cricket she was the only girl in the club and so she played a alongside the boys. When she first started playing professionally, she sometimes felt uncomfortable, there wasn’t always halal food for her to eat and a lot of the other girls would wear short sleeved tops and shorts when they trained.

Abtaha feels that is important to be a role model for Muslim girls who want to be proud of who they are.

“Like, there's not that many hijabi players out there. And none that are playing at a level like this. And so yeah, it makes me feel proud. I'm happy that I am a role model for a lot of people and there can be a little bit of pressure with that.”

taken from: https://cricket.one/news/news-details/MHhCHK1TtNRi5OXHE41J/I-never-had-a-role-model-with-which-I-could-identify-Abtaha-Maqsood-first-Hijab-wearing-cricketer-in-UK

During the month of Ramadan many Muslims fast during daylight hours. The fast is meant to help Muslims reflect on Allah (God) and to help them to use the time to focus on what it means to lead a good Muslim life. Going without food and drink for such a long time can make you tired and light- headed, especially if you are still going to school or work. It’s really difficult to play sports when you are fasting because you may not have the strength or the concentration. In the summer months the days last longer. This means Muslims in Britain fast for 16 hours a day when Ramadan falls around June.  

In 2021, Warwickshire Cricket board, who play at Edgbaston, came up with the idea of running late-night sessions for young Muslims to play cricket during Ramadan. 

Stuart Cain, Chief Executive of Edgbaston, said: “The youngsters here tonight have been fasting for around 16 hours, so playing the game during normal daytime hours isn’t possible. They’re so passionate about the game, so we want to create a safe space to enjoy the game after Iftar. We’ve extended the opening times of the Edgbaston Cricket Centre to midnight, invested in local coaches to deliver the sessions and provide travel to and from players’ homes.

Iftar is the name of the meal that Muslims eat when they finish fasting for the day. The word means ‘to break a fast’, like the English word ‘breakfast’. During Ramadan, Edgbaston Club laid on food for Iftar and many of the non-Muslim staff fasted during one of the days in solidarity with Muslim friends and colleagues. The Cricket club wanted to make young Muslims feel welcome and they believed that in Birmingham, which is one of Europe’s most racially and ethnic diverse cities they should do everything they can to celebrate different communities. 

One of the cricket coaches, Siraj Alis said that cricket can be very expensive to play and a lot of young Muslim boys ‘had been priced out of the game’ so providing sport facilities for young Muslim men and boys is a good way of encouraging to stick with the game.

The Ramadan Cricket league has been so successful that Edgbaston now holds games for adults as well as young people.

In England there is a long tradition of educating boys and girls separately. Up until the 1960s most schools in this country were single sex. Today it is mostly private schools (where parents have to pay money to send their children to school) or grammar schools (where children have to pass an intelligence test to get in). 

One reason why some parents want their children to go to single sex schools is because they believe that children will learn better and be better behaved if they only have their same sex with them in classes. 

In France and America they believe that your beliefs about God are private and that public places, like schools or hospitals or government offices should be non religious (secular).

In England some schools are religious, (they may be Christian, or Muslim or Jewish). About 25% of all schools in the UK are Christian. This means that they are allowed to have Christian ceremonies and festivals and they can ask pupils to pray and worship when they are at school. It also means, that if they want to they can teach children that their religion and what their religion teaches is true.

In non-religious schools it is the law that everyone should have an act of worship every day unless you or your parents ask for you to be excused. The reason for this is that some people say that England is a Christian country and throughout a large part of its history Christian beliefs and customs were common in many homes.

Some people believe that schools should not be religious because children should be able to make up their minds. Other people think that schools should be neutral (that is they don’t take a side) when it comes to religion. Humanists are people that don’t believe in God and they also believe that in schools children should not be encouraged to believe in a religion as children should be able to make up their own minds. 

Those who support religious schools argue that they have a right for their children to be educated in the beliefs of their family. Other people believe that schools should not take sides when it comes to religion. 

Ever since then people have used the expression of a ‘Trojan Horse’ to describe a plot where someone is deceived by pretending to be something they are not. 

·         Talk about a time when pupils went on holiday and tried something new to eat or drink. Did they like it? Was it strange? Child food nutritionists suggest to parents that their children need to eat a new food 10- 15 times before it becomes familiar. Have pupils noticed a food they used to find unappetising, such as olives, they now quite like?

·         Pupils will read that most 'Indian' restaurants are in fact run by Paksitani and Bangladeshi people. The lands we now call Pakistan and Bangladesh were part of India until 1947. In what sense is it correct to call all South Asian food 'Indian', and in what sense is it incorrect? Do pupils think non-Asian British people should make the effort to know this, or is it just an easy short-hand phrase? 

·         Learn about the word 'desi', meaning 'land' in Sanskrit, the ancient language of India. Food from the subcontinent can be described as 'desi' food, referring to its shared cultural and geographical history. Do south Asian-heritage pupils in your class use this word at home? Look at a map of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Teach children that before 1947 they were one land, India. This shows how there will be many shared cultural elements, despite new borders and religious differences.

·         An Indian - American food blogger, Chaheti Bansall, argues that we should not use the word 'curry' to describe all Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi food. She suggests that the word 'curry' is not really used in India, but was applied during the British invasion by white Europeans unwilling to learn about the incredibly diverse food of India. When we describe South Asian food using the generic term 'curry', we are repeating this colonial-era thinking. Share this argument with pupils. Chaheti Bansall's cooking website is called 'Rooted in Spice', you could even watch some of her videos. Invite pupils to discuss the issue- is it more respectful to learn the correct words for cultural aspects such as food? Is the term' curry' is used positively, or does it represent colonial-era thinking?

·         Read about the area of Sparkhill, do any pupils know the area? You could look up images online of the 'Balti triangle' from the 1950s or 1960s. List the different cultural groups who have lived in the area. Talk about what people might bring from one culture to another; food, music, clothes, festivals, words and language, etc. 

·         Read about the first mosque in Sparkhill. Who built it? Imagine what it must be like to establish a place of worship in a new country. What metaphor describes this; planting a seed? Opening a door? Laying a foundation stone? Turning on a light? Lighting a fire?

·         Pupils have heard that restaurant chains such as Nandos, KFC and Pizza Express use halal meat. However there are also objections to halal slaughter made by the RSCPA and some farmers' groups. The objection is that the Islamic method of slaughter is less humane than approved British standards of slaughter, especially stunning the animal before it is killed.  Islamically an animal that has been stunned is not considered halal. If this is something you would like to explore further, this briefing page from The Week Magazine offers a clear overview of all the arguments: https://www.theweek.co.uk/58447/halal-meat-what-does-it-involve-and-is-it-cruel-to-animals  

·         Ask pupils to pretend they have been away from home for a long time. One day, while thinking of home from another country, they start to think about the food they miss most. What food would pupils miss most if they did not live at home? Talk about why food can be something we miss and long for, and why it can remind us of home. Can pupils make a connection to the reasons why people who come to a new country often bring their food traditions with them? 

·         Find out about the physical geography of Pakistan and the UK. Compare and contrast.  

·         Find out how people would have travelled in the 1960s and 1970s- did people fly? Did some come on road and by boat?  

·         If any children in the class are from a South Asian background and want to share some information, find out where their family comes from and identify these places on a map. Ask children to find out from their parents and grandparents why they decided to come to Birmingham

·         Find out about the climate of Pakistan and India; what do people wear? Imagine the differences between Pakistan and India and Birmingham. What is the weather like? What do people here wear? Talk about what is might have been like to arrive in a new continent and get used to a different way of life.

·         What is 'Partition'? Pupils might ask this. Some will know about it from their family histories. Partition is a seismic event in 1947 when Pakistan split from India to create a new country. Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims who lived around the new border were caught up in panic, chaos, loss and violence. Many South Asian families came to Britain to escape the instability of Partition. This act was completed as the British left India, a newly independent nation, after 200 years of British rule. A BBC 2 series called 'India's Partition: the forgotten story', is helpful for your subject knowledge. There are short clips on You Tube from this series if you want to show any to your class. 

·         You might know some facts and figures about the population of Birmingham. Here is an interesting piece of information:

'44% of Birmingham's population have a migrant background, half of whom were born overseas' (p. xiv, 'Our City' by Jon Bloomfield, 2019).

Talk about how this might have an impact on a city- half of the population have a non-British home culture. What might be brought to the city from different home cultures, such as food, music, stories, clothes, etc?

·         Read each of the women in the case studies in the way that is best for your class. Read them one at a time, pausing to identify the key information, or ask 5 children to read one case study to the class, and then compare them as a group. 

·         Record this information in groups:

1) Where were they born?

2) What led them, to Birmingham?

3) Do you know about their family?

4) Do they work?

5) Do you know about their religious views?

6) Can you say anything about their personality? 

·         Ask groups to read out the information they have gathered about the women’s religious views and personality.  Listen to groups’ impressions. 

·         Ask groups to choose one woman and create a factfile. The factfile must show 5 things that are important to their person- the group can decide what these 5 things are and present them to communicate clearly.  

·         What do the class want to know more about – whether factories, Partition, the hijab, arranged marriages, food, anything. Make a list of information the class would like to find out more about.

·         Talk about how cricket was brought to South Asia, again through invasion, this time with the British Empire. 

·         Ask pupils to shut their eyes and imagine everything that comes into their heads when you ask them to think of 'cricket'. Let them talk to others and share their impressions- gather some. Talk about pupils' impressions of the game- what are they? This could be an interesting exercise! If any pupils play cricket, ask them to share their experiences if they are willing

·         Look at the data from the information above: 33% of people who play cricket in Britain are from a South Asian background, but only 4% of people from a South Asian play at a national level. Discuss what this means. It means that many people from a South Asian background play in local clubs but for some reason do not have the opportunity to play for county clubs or the national team. 

·         Compare this imbalance to another imbalance: the objections to Moeen Ali's beard, compared to the complete lack of objection to WG Field's beard.  Read the information about 'The Beard that's Feared' and give pupils time to highlight the text. They should highlight anything they have questions about. Listen to the questions, can you and the class help to answer them?

·         Read about how Edgbaston cricket ground are making efforts to welcome young people from black and Asian backgrounds. Looking at the information the class has just discussed, such as the low numbers of South Asian-heritage players, and the comments Moeen Ali receives about his beard, can the class see why Edgbaston would do this? How do they feel about Edgbaston's attempt? 

·         Read Munir Ali's quote. why does he describe success in cricket as 'breaking through'? Breaking through what? 

·         Read about the 'Ramadan League'. If any children in the class fast at Ramadan (or their families), ask them if they would like to talk about it. Do they get tired during the days? Is it fun to have the iftar meal at the end of the day? 

·         Choose three aspects of the 'Ramadan League' that pupils think would encourage young people to join up and get involved. Do pupils think this could be a good way to help British Muslims to feel welcome at the grounds? 

·         Moeen Ali and other South Asian heritage people in Britain seem to be excluded from cricket. However the class might also have noticed that so far they have only learnt about men and boys being excluded. Ask the class if they know of any women or girls who play cricket. Do they imagine cricket as more of a male sport? Why is this? 

·         Read about Abtaha Maqsood, a British Muslim woman who plays cricket. Talk about how Abtaha got into cricket. Ask the class why an interviewer chose to ask her about wearing the hijab. Do pupils think this is anything to do with her sporting skills? Discuss this point.

·         what is a role model? Why does Abtaha feel she has to be a role model? 

·         Should Edgbaston run an event similar to the Ramadan League to welcome girls into the sport? What could this be called? 

1^st colour: what the letter sent to the council claimed Muslims are doing in schools

2^nd colour: other views of this situation

·         Next, draw two speech bubbles. Groups should summarise two viewpoints in this series of events and write them in the speech bubbles

·         Watch the video of the Trojan Horse in the Trojan Wars, found at the end of the ‘what is a Trojan Horse?’ section. Discuss and make sure pupils understand what the phrase means. 

·         Find an image of a Greek Trojan Horse on the internet, print for groups. Groups write on the inside of the horse what Muslims in Birmingham schools were accused of in this situation. 

·         Go back to the first section and read it again. Ask groups to write on the outside of the horse any consequences of this series of events. 

·         Talk about why the affair in Birmingham was named ‘Trojan Horse’. How does this portray Muslims in the UK? Do pupils think this is fair or unfair, discuss why 

·         Show a map of Europe and America. Add a post-it note to Britain, saying ‘religion in schools’. Find France on the map. Add a post-it note to France and America saying ‘no religion in schools’. 

·         Remove the post-its and stick at the side of the board. Ask pupils what they think is meant by ‘religion in schools’. Make a list or listen to their ideas.

·         Teach that by ‘religion’ in schools, France and America mean outward signs of religious identity should not be seen, such as clothes or jewellery. There is no expectation that pupils will somehow lose their religious faith when they come to school. Ask groups to come up with two arguments: (1) why religious symbols and clothes should be kept private, and (2) why religious pupils should be allowed to show their religious identity if they choose. Listen to arguments around the room. Ask the class to choose two or three arguments on both sides that they think are strong and persuasive.

·         The Humanist and historical argument in the section ‘should there be religion in schools?’ are summarised below:

In Support of Religion in Schools
- Religious faith is part of someone’s identity, they cannot hide it. 

- An inclusive environment should be able to welcome lots of different worldviews and ways of living.

- Britain is traditionally Christian and learning about Christianity is part of understanding our culture and history. 

Against Religion in Schools
- Schools are for everyone, religious beliefs should not influence schools because not all pupils and teachers are part of that religion. 

- Worship and prayer are personal actions, schools should not expect pupils to take part in these practices 

- Religion is a matter for the family, it is not the role of school to support any one belief or religion over others. 

Ask groups to choose any arguments they agree with and explain why

·    Do pupils think religion in schools generally is a ‘Trojan Horse’? 

·    Ask groups to come up with a metaphor that describes how they see religion in schools

·    Find an image on the internet of an old school with separate entrances for boys and girls. Many Victorian school buildings have separate doors with ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ carved above them (as well as a door for ‘infants’ sometimes). Search for ‘boys entrance school’ and ‘girls entrance school’. Ask pupils to suggest why they think old schools had separate doors. Explain that in England most schools educated boys and girls separately until the 1960s. Pupils might know of schools in the area that are still single sex.  

·    Display these two views:

‘boys and girls learn better on their own because they do not distract each other’

‘boys and girls should be taught together, it is unfair to separate them’

Ask groups to give an argument supporting either of these views. Listen to ideas

· Teach that the al-Hijrah school in Birmingham educates boys and girls in the same way but separate classes. This is so they do not distract each other. Single-sex education is popular among many parents in the UK, including Muslim parents. This school was very popular but was shut down after the Trojan Horse affair. The government said the separation of girls and boys was unfair. 

· Take the Trojan Horse images pupils have been working on. Where would they add ‘single-sex education’ to the image? Inside the horse? Outside the horse? Listen to pupils ideas.