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Camden New Journal - by RICHARD OSLEY
Published: 14 June 2007

Muslim mum who leads fight for CofE secondary

A MUSLIM mother is to lead a deputation calling for a Church of England secondary school to be opened.
Shaleli Barlow will ask councillors at Monday’s full council meeting to give the Church the chance to sponsor a new school, provisionally planned for Adelaide Road in Swiss Cottage.
She will say that the school campaign is not restricted to practising Christians and that more than 100 Muslims are backing it because the “spiritual dimension of life” would be taken seriously.
The Church of England has already made it clear it is keen to take control of Camden’s new school, with representatives appearing at public meetings to put their case. The Town Hall is currently considering whether to use outside sponsorship, on a city academy or trust school model.
More than 1,800 parents have signed a petition backing the Church as a potential sponsor should Camden officially invite bids.
It will be delivered to education chiefs at Monday evening’s meeting.
Ms Barlow, who lives in Belsize Park, said: “As you would expect, some of the signatories are Christian.
“I am a Muslim. I have chosen to send my boys to a Church of England primary school. Why? Because of the excellent education on offer and because they take seriously the spiritual dimension of life.
“And so it is with the petition. About a third of all the signatories, over 600 people, are not members of the Church of England.
“As well as about 100 Muslims, there are people with no specific faith as well as members of other religious groups.”
The campaign is up against resistance from Holborn and St Pancras Labour MP Frank Dobson, who said recently that religious bodies should not be involved in running Camden’s schools.
Several councillors are also on record as being opposed to letting the Church of England become the school’s sponsors.
But the campaign has swollen in the last two months, partly through appeals in church newsletters.
Backers are pointing out that, while a third of primary schools in Camden are run by the Church of England, there is no secondary school under its control.
Ms Barlow said: “A Church of England secondary school would be very popular with parents from across the community.
“Parents in every other London borough have the option of a Church of England secondary school.
“A Camden Church of England school would be more popular with parents than yet another non-denominational school.”

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