UK MUSLIM SCHOOLS FACE CLOSURE

The global economic downturn is pushing almost all British Muslim schools towards closure. “The economic crisis has put them under enormous pressure and they are getting through each day with great difficulty,’’ Mohammed Mukadhum, the chairman of the Association of Muslim Schools (AMS) said. Most Muslim schools in Britain rely on donations and fees to cover costs. The schools need about £2000 per pupil per year to stay afloat, but the economic meltdown has dried up donations and turned many parents unable to pay fees. “The possibility of closing down is a looming reality and the smaller schools are the ones that are most vulnerable,” said Mukadhum. The Muslim leader said that the private schools are now hand-to-mouth organisations, operating on a shoestring budget. There are 130 Muslim schools in Britain, including 119 private ones and eleven in the state sector.