ISLAMIC SCHOOL RANKED BEST IN FRANCE

 

     Lille, France, 11 Muharram 1435/15 November 2013 (MINA) – In a recent report, the Islamic school ‘Lycée Averroès’ in Lille, France, topped the rankings of best schools in the country after half a year ago ranked the top three, Saudi Gazette quoted by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA) as reporting, Friday.

    Ten years ago, when the French decided that liberty, equality, and fraternity translated into not allowing Muslim girls to wear a hijab in schools, one group of Muslim parents decided to start up their own private school.

     The media reported things have changed dramatically over the years, with the school being highly sought after. It is exemplary in many ways with parents taking a keen interest in the running of it.

     Averroès High School in Lille has been in the spotlight for a decade. Ten years ago, it was France’s first private Muslim school to follow the national curriculum. Now, it’s one of the country’s top-rated schools.

     The classes may be a source of envy for many a harried high school teacher trying to instil discipline and impart knowledge to a roomful of teenagers interested in anything but spending their days in a classroom.

      While most French students are enrolled in state schools, around 15 percent of children in France attend some form of private school.

     In theory, all public schools should provide the same quality of education. But as every French parent knows, that is not strictly true. The annual school ranking systems have long featured some of the better-known public high schools from across the country.

     Over the past few years, private schools – either Catholic, Jewish or secular, with varying levels of state funding – have increasingly made their way to the top high-school rankings.

     Averroès High School’s top ranking has raised eyebrows across France in part because it’s a private Muslim school that has been providing quality education to its students. (T/P09/P03)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)