The Birmingham Schools Crisis: Addressing the Causes

3rd June 2019 by Richard Matousek

Birmingham, UK

On May 24th the weekend came early for pupils at Anderton Park Primary School. The Birmingham school closed earlier than planned due to protests outside its gates, which called for an end to lessons advocating tolerance towards people who are LGBT. Last Friday the High Court ruled that the protests should move or cease and the school’s headteacher has expressed concern that protests could intensify as a result of the order.

That a school should shut under these conditions is emblematic of the failure of those at the centre of our society to give a serious shot at bridging the gaps between groups in Britain with seemingly contradictory views.

Despite what some may say, modern Birmingham is a vibrant city in its local way. Last weekend its Pride parade, led by Muslims over Ramadan, attracted record numbers. But when compared to London or Manchester, segregation in the West Midlands city is much starker and more pervasive.

When I told non-Muslim friends from Birmingham that I was going to Alum Rock, a largely Muslim neighbourhood where the protests kicked off, they labelled it as a “weird” and “strange area”.

Today there is a dearth of trust and communication between key players within different groups in the city, including some within public service.