In 2009 we kick started our work in education, which has allowed us to work with a wide range of inspiring teachers, experts and teacher trainers to develop both a source of information on Islam and its practice for teachers and educators and teaching materials which can help bring a better understanding of Islam into the existing curriculum and engage with Muslim pupils.

Highlights include:

• Working with dedicated Teach First volunteers who continue to help build a solid foundation from which to develop our ideas, including contributing towards a scoping paper
• Visits to Mulberry School for Girls to begin putting into action new lesson plans and ideas to captivate students
• Feeding into an exciting new interfaith curriculum resource being developed by the Anna Lindh Foundation

Background

Our research indicates that there is a clear need for two different types of resources:

• A reputable source of information on Islam for teachers and educators
• Teaching materials which can help teacher bring a better understanding of Islam to the existing curriculum and that can help better engage with Muslim pupils in subjects which many are underachieving

As with our health strand, in developing our education work Maslaha employs a unique and innovative approach towards finding ways to use technology and existing networks of communication, informed by working closely with teachers and educational boards. This approach also benefits from opportunities to collaborate with teachers who have already had success in using fascinating and creative ways of incorporating an insightful knowledge of Islam into their lessons.

1. Information for teachers

Our consultations with teachers, head teachers and education providers have identified a clear need for a reputable source of information which can inform their understanding of Islam. Other discussions with education authorities revealed a dearth of guidance for Newly Qualified Teachers, who may only receive one to two hours of training on understanding the culture and faith of a particular community. In helping to address this Maslaha will develop a web-based resource to provide easily accessible answers to these and the many other questions that teachers are asking.

Our initial interviews have raised a number of specific questions. These include:

• Are Muslim children allowed to visit other places of worship?
• Where can we get resources to cater for Muslim children?
• What is the difference between halal and haram? How can we tell something is haram?
• Where can schools buy halal meat?
• How can we adapt the curriculum to cater for Muslim children?
• Do children have to fast?
• Do young girls always have to wear a headscarf?
• Can young boys and girls get changed in the same classroom?
• Why do we not know what day Eid is? How can we find out in advance?

We are working with teachers, head teachers and other educators to develop a full list of questions that can be answered by our team of scholars. We will work closely with teachers to then establish the best way that this resource can be presented, to ensure they fit with the demands of the school environment. We will test these resources in schools to ensure that they are appropriate and then make them available nationally through the Maslaha website.

2. Teaching resources

We are also developing resources that can be used in the classroom to help teachers better engage better with Muslim pupils and also to help breakdown the negative stereotypes of Islam that are presented in the media.

We are working with teachers and subject specialists to develop a series of teaching resources which highlight the important contribution Islam and Muslim scholars have made to various disciplines (including mathematics, sciences, literature and art). These resources will have the added benefit of raising the self esteem of Muslim pupils. This work will not only help engage Muslim pupils but will also show Islam's often overlooked contribution to modern society through innovation and scholarship, helping to challenge negative images of Islam and increasing non-Muslim students' knowledge of Islam.

Our partners in this strand of work include Mulberry School for Girls and the Prince's School of Traditional Arts, who will be helping the pupils create Islamic tiles to support lessons in maths, science and technology.