ABSTRACT

This chapter explores how Pakistani parents and children select secondary schools. The Education Reform Act transformed the British educational system. It would allow parents increased choice over the selection of their Childs school. The Pakistanis, like all parents, select schools for different reasons. The Pakistanis, like all parents, welcomed increased choice in the selection of their Childs primary and secondary school. The contradiction between the parent's right to select a school for the child encouraged by the Education Acts and the Childs right is clear. Some Pakistanis/Muslims argue that the national curriculum should reflect an Islamic orientation that would encourage cultural identity, for example the history syllabus could reflect Muslim contributions to science. It is argued that Muslim schools will provide both the national curriculum and an Islamic ethos. The complex reasons why certain secondary schools are preferred by Pakistani/Muslim parents were explored, particularly cultural reasons.