Al-Madinah Free School Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Al-Madinah Free School

Philip Hollobone Excerpts
Thursday 17th October 2013

(10 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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David Laws Portrait Mr Laws
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I entirely agree with my hon. Friend. It is interesting that the shadow Secretary of State who speaks for the Opposition on these matters has not concluded that the Labour party’s last academies programme was deficient because some of those academies have failed. There is a basic lack of logic in Labour’s position and an ideological resistance to innovation in the school system.

Philip Hollobone Portrait Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)
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Whether it be at the Al-Madinah school or any other school, most of my constituents would take the view that it is completely inappropriate for any school uniform policy to include a requirement for schoolgirls to wear the full-face Islamic veil. Is that the policy of Her Majesty’s Government, or is it up to each school to decide?

David Laws Portrait Mr Laws
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I agree with my hon. Friend that we do not want these impositions on children or on staff—and we have made that clear to this school.