Karamat Iqbal Karamat@forwardpartnership.org.uk. Born in Pakistan In Birmingham since age 12 Youth...

Karamat IqbalKaramat@forwardpartnership.org.uk

• Born in Pakistan • In Birmingham since age 12 • Youth Worker, Teacher, Adviser, Consultant• Author:

• ‘Dear Birmingham’ – on Pakistani exclusion • White working class education reports

• Current: • Educational Practitioner• Director: Multi-academy Trust• PhD student – Warwick University

18/04/23Karamat Iqbal

www.forwardpartnership.org.uk

18/04/23Karamat Iqbal

www.forwardpartnership.org.uk

Fig 6b. 2011 GCSE and Equivalent 5+ A*-C including GCSE English and Maths by Ethnic Group, Gender and Free School Meals

32%

40% 41%43%

50% 50%

58%60% 61%

63% 64%

71%

80%

90%

66%66%

55%

56%

36%

67%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

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FSM FSM FSM FSM FSM NoFSM

FSM NoFSM

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NoFSM

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Pupils eligible for Free School Meals Pupils not eligible for Free School Meals

Boy Girls

LA Average

18/04/23Karamat Iqbal

www.forwardpartnership.org.uk

Region Total 2003 Total 2013 Increase 2003-2013

North East 2,950 4,330 1,740

North West 29,460

43,95514,495

Yorkshire & Humber 39.640

56,27516,635

East Midlands 6,770 10,820 4,050

West Midlands

Bham40,160

59,685

42558

19,525

East of England 9,810 15,725 5,915

London 30,630 42,790 12,160

South East 14,470 22,240 7,770

South West 1,210 2,270 1,060

Totals 175,100 258,090 82,990

Pupils of Pakistani heritage in English schools 2003 & 2013

White British 38%Pakistani 25%

Muslim 36%Christian 33%

18/04/23Karamat Iqbal

www.forwardpartnership.org.uk

Mixed methods Document analysis Auto-biographical sociology

3 diverse state schools 219 pupil questionnaires – all ethnic

groups 55 interviews – 24 Pakistani pupils; 16

parents 15 teachers

18/04/23Karamat Iqbal

www.forwardpartnership.org.uk

Value education Regularly attend school Work hardHave supportive familiesHave a good staying-on rate

18/04/23Karamat Iqbal

www.forwardpartnership.org.uk

1.Pakistanis 89%2.Bangladeshis 87%3.Indians 86%

4.White-British 28%

18/04/23Karamat Iqbal

www.forwardpartnership.org.uk

All Pakistani boys interviewed, were either attending a mosque after school or had done so in the past

28 % White did so; mainly for non-religious purposes

18/04/23Karamat Iqbal

www.forwardpartnership.org.uk

Pakistani pupils: 64%◦A number of parents were also

supportive of this idea.

Suggestions: ◦In the curriculum ◦Extra-curricular – before or after school

18/04/23Karamat Iqbal

www.forwardpartnership.org.uk

Religion not just about believing and activities; it had a clear impact on their schooling.

It taught them to be better students, to respect teachers, respect learning.

18/04/23Karamat Iqbal

www.forwardpartnership.org.uk

• The same level of respect, for teachers, for mosque, for parents; that’s the way I have been brought up. It’s all the same. You've got to respect your elders no matter what; you can't be rude to them. You've just got to show them a lot of respect. My mum and my dad have always told me that you've got to respect, whoever is older than you, you've got to show them respect. I've always been told: respect your elders. I respect my teachers a lot. Pupil

18/04/23Karamat Iqbal

www.forwardpartnership.org.uk

Muslim parents have two main education goals for their children1. Preservation, maintenance and

transmission of their distinctive beliefs and values, both through direct teaching and through a school ethos informed by those values

2. Access to the opportunities offered by a general education, including living as full British citizens without fear of racism or other forms of prejudice

www.forwardpartnership.org.uk

• Education more than 5 A*-C; • Children’s religious education farz for parents•  “(Education) also includes knowing about

his religion; he needs to know what Islam is, read his prayers, the fundamentals of Islam; it would make him a good human being as well. (Religion is) very, very important for us. In the way that, he needs it so to be a good human being. To understand his religion, religion is very, very important. Parent

18/04/23Karamat Iqbal

www.forwardpartnership.org.uk

• Educated = to have good manners and morals• You know, …the importance of his education to me

is not just about his academic performance, but, the overall personality that he develops, you know. I would not like it for him to just achieve a very high grade in school, that is one aspect of it; that is needed for success in life. You know, he needs to have good knowledge of things AND (original emphasis) groom his overall personality as well. It’s about the overall personality

Grammar Parent Wali

18/04/23Karamat Iqbal

www.forwardpartnership.org.uk

1. Education –deen and dunya2. Greater continuity between pupils’

lives at home & school3. Greater school-community partnership 4. More Pakistani teachers5. Greater understanding amongst teachers

of Pakistani culture and religion6. Arabic, Urdu and Islamic Studies on

the curriculum

18/04/23Karamat Iqbal

www.forwardpartnership.org.uk

- a conversation with My Hometown