Worried about your teenage child missing the afternoon prayer or Friday prayers because of school? Or concerned that the school is focusing too much on Halloween or Christmas in their lessons and activities, with no inclusion of other celebrations, especially Eid?
Perhaps it’s time that you considered joining the parent’s school council or Parent Teacher Association (PTA) to speak about these concerns. In these challenging times, it has become more apparent that Muslim children in public schools need to see representation within their school staff and boards, and need their concerns heard and considered in order to live their lives without compromising their beliefs and morals. There may also be larger issues at hand where running for higher positions to make your voice heard would be necessary – such as a public school trustee or school board member.
Issues Close to Home
The Canadian education system is province-based. Each province (i.e, state) has its own curriculum and education system that is run by the Ministry of Education. Within the Greater Toronto Area where I reside, Muslims are increasingly running for political and higher ranking positions within the school board, including the position of public school trustee. This article is a summary of an interview I conducted with one of them.
Romana Siddiqui, a mother of three teenagers, and a long-time advocate for educational issues in Ontario, Canada, has recently run for this position within her ward (part of a district/county). Much like her children, she was born and brought up in the area and went through the Ontario public school system. During those years, she had come across many issues that compromised her beliefs and core identity as a Pakistani Muslim. She has much to say about these experiences and what she would like to see for her own children.
Q: How did your journey towards running for Public School Trustee begin?
A: My husband was a doctor completing his residencies in different cities. At that time we had three children and lived in Kingston, London, and Mississauga (all three cities are a few hours apart from each other). Each child began kindergarten in a separate city. When they joined kindergarten, I wished to be a part of their classroom in some way - parent volunteers within schools are common. Each time Eid came around, I would ask the teacher if I could do a presentation for the kids of my child’s class. The teachers in Kingston and London were very welcoming and they were relaxed about it. These cities were both predominantly white, so it was important to me that my children felt included and accepted in their classrooms. I would bring in books, food, and activities for the children to do about Ramadan and Eid. I would spend two days going classroom to classroom doing these presentations to other fellow kindergardners. I also made a slideshow that I used every time I present on this topic.
Q: If the schools in Kingston and London were welcoming, how about Mississauga? It’s a very diverse city.
A: That was the surprising part. The school my third child attended was not as welcoming. Rather, there was a lot of pushback. The principal did not want me to present about Ramadan and Eid in my child’s classroom. The principal is the gatekeeper, so you can’t do anything in the school without the principal’s permission. When I joined the school council it was predominantly white females; I was the only one who was brown in that group. And there was tremendous pushback against my activism. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon.
Q: How should other Muslim parents go about issues they want to raise?
A: Even if they’re not having any issues, that representation itself is enough. Sometimes the relationships are wonderful and collaborative and welcoming. And sometimes they’re not. In both ways it’s really important to be there.
If your school is not as welcoming, bring an advocate with you. Not your partner, family, or friend, but someone who is part of an organization that works with schools and their issues. For example, when I realized my first son was gifted, having access to gifted programs was a hassle. I was told different things by teachers and there was a variation from school board to school board on what they said. Overall, they wouldn’t give him an assessment to go ahead. While I was trying to find resources to have my son assessed, I came across ABC Peel (Association for Bright Children; Peel is the name of the county Mississauga is within and the name of the school board). They helped me find the resources to help him get assessed. A group like that can send an advocate with you to the school council because they have the legal knowledge that can help you.
Having advocates from community groups that work alongside schools are very helpful in situations where issues remain unsolved at schools. Especially when educational and human rights are at stake.
Q: How did you get involved with the Parent Involvement Committee?
A: School councils are there to advise the principal and teachers. Every school board needs to have a Parental Involvement Committee (PIC). The PIC advises the Director of Education. They are volunteer positions and each have two-year terms. Their goal is to enhance student achievement and well-being.
School trustees also do the same thing but they help set the policies and budget for the Ministry of Education. In 2020, in Peel the Minister of Education had unseated the District School Board to weed out the racism inherent in its system. I took the opportunity to advocate for the anti-racism initiatives for black and indigenous communities through the PIC.
Siddiqui and the new PIC was able to develop the Anti-Racism Policy, and soon the Islamophobia Strategy will be out, too. She wanted to go to the next level to put these policies and new ones in place, especially for racialized communities.
Q: What advice would you give parents if any issues arise in their school and they would like to address it?
A: Muslim, racialized parents have to be part of whatever processes there are for parent engagement opportunities. Moreover, if there is an ongoing issue, parents should document the whole process. For example, if you are going to speak to a teacher about a problem, type an email to them so that it leaves a paper trail.
Q: You ran for the position of public school trustee in the municipal election held on October 24, 2022. You were not elected this time, so what do you hope to do and what would you advise our community to do going forward?
A: I am going to continue attending trustee board meetings and make sure the current trustee of my ward follows through with the Directives. Parents in our community can do the same. You can attend the monthly school board trustee meetings in person or online, and summaries come out after each one. You can also ask them questions at those meetings or email your local school trustee about issues that matter to you. Make sure to also vote for the trustees you want to see in office. Joining your child’s school council or the Parent Involvement Committees are also options.
Twenty-five percent of Peel students are Muslim. Hundreds or maybe thousands of the other Muslim students are in Islamic schools, homeschooled or in Catholic schools (these schools are government funded and the general public can attend them). The biggest religious percentage of any religion is Islam. There is strength in numbers. People from our community should vote because those Muslims in public schools can be your co-workers in the future. If there isn’t any equity being taught in public education, that will reflect in our societal values.
Taking an Active Role
With our increasing Muslim populations within North American cities, taking an active role in our school communities is becoming more essential. Whether your children attend public schools or do not, we must look out for the rights and upbringing of other Muslim children in their formative years. After all, we all meet at the same masjids, workplaces, and other community hubs. Therefore, being present at our school councils or PTAs to ensure that our Muslim students have a place to pray in peace or halal food available in their cafeterias is important. Being a part of the PIC or local school board to discuss Islamophobic incidents is making the lives of other Muslim students easier. Running for public office or attending School Trustee meetings to discuss anti-racism or other human rights issues is making the lives of our fellow black and indigenous neighbours easier. Taking an active role in our school communities helps all children and the community as a whole because schools are at the heart of our communities.
For more information about Romana Siddiqui, visit https://www.romanasiddiqui.ca/.
For information about an initiative called Project Eid Awareness that promotes awareness of Muslim holidays across the U.S. and beyond, check out https://www.facebook.com/groups/345790285449079/
Sumayya Khan is a homeschooling mother of two and a teacher. She has worked with several Islamic schools and organizations in the last 10 years. She is currently teaching Literature online with Dawanet and studying the Qur’an through Al-Huda Institute. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her family and friends, play sports, enjoy nature, and read books. She currently resides with her family in Toronto, Canada.
Add new comment