Leading multi‐ethnic schools: adjustments in concepts and practices for engaging with diversity¹

1. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Seventh International Conference on Education held at the Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER), May 20–22, 2005, in Athens, Greece.

Abstract

The student population across world is increasingly reflective of diverse cultures, religions and ethnicities. This rich diversity may become a challenge for educational leaders, teachers, and policy‐makers in the absence of an understanding of diverse sources of knowledge people draw on for directing their beliefs and daily practices. This paper explores the multi‐ethnic context in Britain with a focus on Muslim students in English secondary schools, and argues for drawing on diverse ethnic knowledge sources to inform and enrich approaches towards managing diversity. It discusses the concept of Adab derived from Muslim ethics and philosophy, and debates possible contributions of such conceptual adaptations towards improving educational engagement and performance.

Keywords:

• educational leadership
• diversity
• identity
• Muslims
• Islam and society
• Adab

Notes

1. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Seventh International Conference on Education held at the Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER), May 20–22, 2005, in Athens, Greece.

2. The Quran is the sacred book of Islam, which is the ultimate authentic religious text and a major source of religious teachings for the Muslims.