By Sam Borsato - @BorsatoSam on Twitter

Lethbridge Islamic Academy put on hold

Nov 16, 2016 | 1:28 PM

LETHBRIDGE – Interest in a proposed Islamic Academy is no longer moving forward at this time, according to Lethbridge School District 51.
 
In a brief media release, the district says Wilson Middle School’s south wing isn’t being considered for the alternative program anymore. The proposal would have seen kids from kindergarten through grade six attending classes there as soon as 2017.
 
“If you take a look at our policy, the first level of expression of interest is fairly broad, and that came to [me]. That’s when [I] work with that organization on details… What might be your projected enrolment, what are some resource costs, what are some staffing costs,” said Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Gilmore.
 
She noted the district’s policy has two steps so organizations can view all of the “complex details” before moving on with a formal curriculum proposal. Gilmore believes the Lethbridge Muslim Association’s choice not to move forward was due to a number of those factors.
 
While there was no final registration count, the Muslim Association set a goal to register 60 students in mid-October, with Gilmore confirming that it wasn’t quite reached. She acknowledged that it would be expensive to put on such a program as well, estimating that there are roughly 300 Muslim students out of 10,000 total across the district.
 
She also noted that the public had some positives and negatives of their own, submitting a petition opposing the new academy among multiple other phone calls and e-mails.
 
“The School Act has always provided for religious instruction in public schools, and the provision is that it’s a choice. If you take a look at even some districts in southern Alberta some of their public schools have religion classes offered,” Gilmore said, responding to worries of public education supporting religion in school.
 
However, she doesn’t think the opposition was great enough to solely deter the Islamic Academy from going ahead.
 
Gilmore went on to explain that other common concerns believed the force behind the Islamic Academy came from new Canadians. While interest was expressed during a time where many new Muslim families were moving to the city, Gilmore says the Lethbridge Muslim Association had actually been considering creating the academy for a number of years.
 
District 51’s Instructional Services department is now exploring provincially approved or locally developed culture and language programs to possibly implement.
 
But Gilmore says a separate academy isn’t completely off the table in the future. According to the School Act, organizations can put forward a proposal for an alternative school program at any time.