THE ISLAMIC Foundation of Ireland has defended its management of the North Dublin Muslim national school, which has been the subject of a scathing assessment by Department of Education inspectors.
In a statement issued last night, the foundation said a number of criticisms contained in the evaluation of the school by the department had been addressed.
It said summary accounts covering the period from January 2008 to date had been prepared and sent to the department. The board of management had decided that qualified class teachers would remain with their classes while religious instruction was being provided by religious education teachers.
It had also decided to ensure that the required five hours and 10 minutes of time for curricular subjects, excluding religious education, was provided.
A child protection policy had been developed and would be ratified by the board at its next meeting, the foundation said. Curricular plans for maths, music and Irish had been approved by the board and plans for other subjects would be available by December.
The board had also indicated it was willing to make staged payments of unpaid bills for light and heat owed to the department.
However, it said, some of the bills were run up by two schools, the Muslim school and another one on the same site.
“The board believe that it would be unfair of the department to financially penalise the current pupils in the school in respect of payments due in respect of previous periods.”
The board has discussed with the department the repayment of money owed, and is willing to schedule payment.
The department’s evaluation said accounts of the school’s finances since its inception in 2001 were not available. It also reported a significant decrease in enrolment since 2006 and very high levels of staff turnover.
The school has never had a permanent principal and the whole mainstream teaching staff resigned in June 2008. No member of the teaching staff has completed their probationary period; only four of the teachers are fully qualified within the Irish system.
The foundation says that it first took an active role in December 2007, since when a new board has been formed, which has worked to improve conditions inherited from the previous management.
It also released a separate statement expressing its “deep concern” about criticism of the foundation and of the Muslim school in Clonskeagh voiced on RTÉ’s Liveline programme last week.
The department’s evaluation of this school was very positive, it said, and the accounts of both the school and the foundation were available for inspection.
