The headteacher at a school once dubbed Britain's strictest has today hailed a court ruling after a Muslim student lost a challenge against its ban on 'prayer rituals'.
Katharine Birbalsingh, https://bangcacloai.com/ founder and leader of Michaela Community School in Brent, North London, said the High Court judge's decision was a 'victory for all schools'.
She added: 'Schools should not be forced by one child and her mother to change its approach simply because they've decided they don't like something at the school.'
The former government social mobility tsar spoke out after the student - who cannot be named - took legal action against the high-achieving school, claiming the policy was discriminatory and 'uniquely' affected her faith due to its ritualised nature.
The pupil claimed the school's stance on prayer - one of the five pillars of Islam - unlawfully breached her right to religious freedom and was 'the kind of discrimination which makes religious minorities feel alienated from society'.
But the school argued its prayer policy was justified after it faced death and bomb threats linked to religious observance on site.
The ban was introduced in March last year after 30 students began to pray in the school's yard, using blazers to kneel on - with the rules imposed due to concerns about a 'culture shift' towards 'segregation between religious groups and intimidation within the group of Muslim pupils', the court was told.
In a written ruling issued at the High Court in London this morning, Mr Justice Linden dismissed the pupil's arguments against the prayer rituals ban. But the judge upheld the student's challenge to a decision to temporarily exclude her from the school.
The pupil said they were 'obviously very disappointed', having 'tried my best' in the case. The pupil's mother said she was 'profoundly dismayed by the case's outcome'.
The school's headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh said it was defending its 'culture and ethos'
The pupil took legal action against Michaela Community School in Brent, North London
The judge said there was a 'a rational connection between the aim of promoting the team ethos of the school, inclusivity, social cohesion etc and the prayer ritual policy'.
Katharine Birbalsingh, https://bangcacloai.com/ founder and leader of Michaela Community School in Brent, North London, said the High Court judge's decision was a 'victory for all schools'.
She added: 'Schools should not be forced by one child and her mother to change its approach simply because they've decided they don't like something at the school.'
The former government social mobility tsar spoke out after the student - who cannot be named - took legal action against the high-achieving school, claiming the policy was discriminatory and 'uniquely' affected her faith due to its ritualised nature.
The pupil claimed the school's stance on prayer - one of the five pillars of Islam - unlawfully breached her right to religious freedom and was 'the kind of discrimination which makes religious minorities feel alienated from society'.
But the school argued its prayer policy was justified after it faced death and bomb threats linked to religious observance on site.
The ban was introduced in March last year after 30 students began to pray in the school's yard, using blazers to kneel on - with the rules imposed due to concerns about a 'culture shift' towards 'segregation between religious groups and intimidation within the group of Muslim pupils', the court was told.
In a written ruling issued at the High Court in London this morning, Mr Justice Linden dismissed the pupil's arguments against the prayer rituals ban. But the judge upheld the student's challenge to a decision to temporarily exclude her from the school.
The pupil said they were 'obviously very disappointed', having 'tried my best' in the case. The pupil's mother said she was 'profoundly dismayed by the case's outcome'.
The school's headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh said it was defending its 'culture and ethos'
The pupil took legal action against Michaela Community School in Brent, North London
The judge said there was a 'a rational connection between the aim of promoting the team ethos of the school, inclusivity, social cohesion etc and the prayer ritual policy'.
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