MORE than 300 letters objecting to a proposal for an Islamic faith school have been sent to Swindon Council – but none have been lodged in support.

The council and the The Al Habib Islamic Education and Culture Centre are at loggerheads after both submitted a bid to run Oakhurst Primary School in north Swindon.

Now the final decision rests with the Schools Adjudicator.

Shahid Sahu, chairman of the Al Habib Islamic Education and Culture Centre, said he is hopeful Oakhurst may still become a faith school. He is unhappy with the level of criticism he faced at a public meeting in November when he was asked to withdraw his bid.

“There is a visible need for the faith school,” he said. “They should give us a chance. At the public meeting, it was as if my organisation and I were working for aliens rather than Swindonians.”

Fifty per cent of the school places would go to Muslim children while the other half would be open to any pupil if the Al Habib bid were successful.

Coun Garry Perkins, Swindon Council’s cabinet member for children’s services said he was not surprised the council received 303 objections to the Al Habib bid.

Oakhurst parents have been campaigning for a new school to ease a shortage of places in the area.

“If the primary becomes a faith school we would have to continue bussing children out of Oakhurst,” said Coun Perkins.

“This school is needed for children in the community. There are already enough pupils in the area to fill two forms of entry.

“I don’t feel Swindon needs to have separation as far as schools are concerned. The majority of Muslim pupils integrate extremely well.”

Mr Sahu insists the school would promote cohesion and inclusion with other cultures and follow the National Curriculum.

He disagrees with the argument that it is unsustainable to bus Muslim children from around Swindon, saying it is better to have 30 pupils in a bus than parents driving their children a short distance to school.

The council hopes the Schools Adjudicator will decide on the future of the school by the end of this month, as parents need to choose where their children go to school by February 13.

Oakhurst Primary School is due to open in September 2009.

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