Relocate Islamia Primary School please

Thank you for asking for public comments. It is unfortunate that this matter has gone unresolved for several years and has now become an urgent dilemma.

None of the options are ideal. However, in the interest of the school pupils and their parents, I kindly support options 1 and A - to relocate to the new site and have a new 2-storey structure built to accommodate the students. Although the council does not envisage the building to be ready by the July 2024 deadline, I think it is important that the bigger picture is kept in mind. Where there is a will, there is usually a way!

As a parent of a former pupil of Islamia Primary and it being the only muslim school in the borough, I recall several mornings of waking at 5am to take my son back all the way to his muslims school in our former Ilford area pending him obtaining a school place at Islamia Primary. It is very common in both muslim and non-muslim communities for families to commute to faith based or selective (e.g. grammar) schools. So although 6 miles is farther for families, many would find this acceptable compared to being entirely denied the option of a muslim school. The concern about traffic, travel, etc would be better assessed and tackled after the move. I trust that these issues will be envisaged and planned for in conjunction with the relocation, construction, Brent council and transport services to name a few stakeholders.

The education of our children in a diverse society while accommodating their faith is paramount. Muslim families should be supported to do so by Brent council, especially since there is no other muslim faith school in the borough despite the large representation of muslims who live in it.