The current issue (No. 250, 26 February 2010) of The Muslim News, the independent monthly newspaper for Muslims in the UK, features a league table of the 2009 GCSE (and equivalent) examination performance of 1,683 students attending 63 Muslim schools and colleges, of which just five are voluntary-aided.
The league table shows that Muslim schools surpass national GCSE averages in two important respects. In modern foreign languages 71% of students at these schools and colleges attained at least one A* to C grade, 26% higher than the national average. The figure is 79% in boys’ schools, 71% in girls’ schools and 59% in co-educational Muslim schools.
The number of Muslim students attaining five or more GCSE passes at A* to C grade is, at 61%, 11% higher than the national average. The figure is 65% for boys’ schools, 63% for girls’ schools and 50% for co-educational Muslim schools.
Additionally, with the exception of the average point score per student, it is said that Muslim schools outperform the national average in all the other indicators. All but nine of the schools and colleges had every student achieve at least one GCSE qualification.
An article by Elham Asaad Buaras containing an analysis of the league table is freely available online at:
http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/paper/index.php?article=4516
However, the full league table may only be consulted in the print edition of the newspaper, which may be purchased for £2 from The Muslim News, PO Box 380, Harrow, Middlesex, HA2 6LL.
