All posts tagged: Michaela

Michaela DePrince death: Ballet star who danced for Beyoncé dies at 29

Michaela DePrince death: Ballet star who danced for Beyoncé dies at 29

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Michaela DePrince, one of the ballet world’s brightest stars, has died. She was 29. An orphan of war in Sierra Leone, DePrince moved to the United States while still an infant and went on to perform with the Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Dutch National Ballet and the Boston Ballet. She rose to fame after being featured in the 2011 documentary First Position, and was also known for appearing in Beyoncé’s visual album Lemonade and performing on Dancing with the Stars. Her death was announced in a statement from her team on her official Instagram page. “With pain in our hearts, we share the loss of star ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, whose artistry touched countless hearts and whose spirit inspired many, leaving an indelible mark on the world of ballet, and beyond,” it read. “Her life was one defined by …

What does the Michaela ruling mean for schools?

What does the Michaela ruling mean for schools?

Alistair Wood sets out what schools need to know from the landmark High Court ruling Alistair Wood sets out what schools need to know from the landmark High Court ruling Alistair Wood Chief executive office, Edapt 17 Apr 2024, 16:29 More from this theme Recent articles The High Court this week dismissed a claim from a pupil at Michaela Community School who had challenged a policy that restricted prayer rituals and led to a dispute on the right to pray in schools. The rights of the individual in relation to school policies is an area that we are seeing an increasing amount of challenge in our casework at Edapt. This includes both pupils and staff members asserting that school policies may be breaching their personal rights. What were the key challenges to the policy? The principal challenge in the Michaela claim was the decision of the school to prohibit pupils from performing prayer rituals on the premises. This had initially been introduced as an interim measure by the headteacher, but was later ratified by the …

Michaela school will keep its prayer ban – but as a Muslim teacher I know it doesn’t have to be this way | Nadeine Asbali

Michaela school will keep its prayer ban – but as a Muslim teacher I know it doesn’t have to be this way | Nadeine Asbali

A Muslim student at Michaela community school in Brent, north-west London, has lost a high court challenge to the school’s ban on prayer rituals. As a Muslim secondary schoolteacher, I have to say I am disappointed – but not surprised. The appeal was lost on the grounds that the school declares itself secular. This is something the headteacher, Katharine Birbalsingh, insists all students and parents know when applying. In the written judgment dismissing the student’s case, Mr Justice Linden went as far as to say that: “The claimant at the very least impliedly accepted, when she enrolled at the school, that she would be subject to restrictions on her ability to manifest her religion.” But this is about more than just the legal question of whether a school has the right to uphold its own rules: it’s worth interrogating why schools like Michaela view their role as being so aggressively secular in the first place. Is it right for a school where 50% of the pupils are Muslim, in an area as diverse as Brent, …

Muslim pupil loses UK court bid over Michaela school prayer rituals ban | Religion News

Muslim pupil loses UK court bid over Michaela school prayer rituals ban | Religion News

Student took legal action against London school, saying policy was discriminatory and ‘uniquely’ affected her faith. A Muslim pupil in the United Kingdom has lost a court challenge against a top London school’s ban on prayer rituals in a case about freedom of religion in schools that has captured national attention. The student, who cannot be named, took legal action against Michaela Community School in northwest London, saying the policy was discriminatory and “uniquely” affected her faith due to its ritualised nature. She argued the school’s prohibition of on-site prayer unlawfully breached her right to religious freedom and was “the kind of discrimination which makes religious minorities feel alienated from society”. In a written ruling, Justice Thomas Linden on Tuesday dismissed the pupil’s arguments, ruling that by enrolling at the school she had effectively accepted being subject to restrictions on manifesting her faith. He concluded that the prayer ritual policy was “proportionate” and its aims and ability to achieve them “outweighs” any “adverse effects” on the rights of Muslim pupils at the school. The student …

Humanists UK respond to Michaela School ‘prayer ban’ ruling

Humanists UK respond to Michaela School ‘prayer ban’ ruling

Pictured: Michaela Community School Buidlings, Wikipedia Commons, Jonathan A Jones, CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED Humanists UK have called for the Government to develop national guidance for England on the question of religious practices in schools following today’s High Court ruling which ruled in favour of the so-called ‘prayer ban’ at Michaela Community School, Brent.  Michaela Community School was taken to the High Court in January by a Muslim pupil following allegations that a ban on all prayers and worship had been imposed in the school. The pupil argued that the ban was a ‘breach of her right to freedom to manifest her religious beliefs’, however this was rejected on the grounds that the pupil had… ‘chosen the School knowing of its strict regime; on the evidence she was able to move to a suitable school which would allow her to pray at lunchtime; and, in any event, she was able to perform Qada prayers in order to mitigate the fact that she was not able to pray at the allotted time.’ The judge further ruled …

Michaela school wins High Court battle over prayer ban

Michaela school wins High Court battle over prayer ban

Headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh has said the ban was needed to restore ‘calm and order’ after the school received threats Headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh has said the ban was needed to restore ‘calm and order’ after the school received threats More from this theme Recent articles Michaela Community School has won a High Court case brought by a pupil after a judge ruled any disadvantage to Muslim pupils caused by its prayer ban was “outweighed by the aims it seeks to promote in the interests of the school community as a whole”. The judgment in favour of the free school in Wembley, north London, often referred to as “Britain’s strictest”, was handed down by Mr Justice Linden this morning, although he did rule in favour of the claimant for one lesser allegation. The judge ruled that: “The disadvantage to Muslim pupils at the school caused by the PRP (prayer ritual policy) was outweighed by the aims which it seeks to promote in the interests of the school community as a whole, including Muslim pupils.” It follows a two-day …

Muslim student loses legal challenge against Michaela Community School’s ‘prayer ban’ | UK News

Muslim student loses legal challenge against Michaela Community School’s ‘prayer ban’ | UK News

A Muslim student has lost a legal challenge against a school previously dubbed Britain’s strictest over its ban on “prayer rituals”. The pupil, who cannot be named for legal reasons, took the action against Michaela Community School in Brent, north London, claiming the policy “uniquely” affects her faith, with prayer one of its five pillars. The High Court heard in January how she alleged the school’s stance is “the kind of discrimination which makes religious minorities feel alienated from society”. Defending the policy, lawyers for the school argued it is “justified” and “proportionate” after it faced death and bomb threats linked to religious observance. During a two-day hearing, the school’s headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh – commonly referred to as Britain’s strictest – said on X it was defending an environment “where children of all races and religions can thrive”. She welcomed the judgment as a “victory for all schools” and said they should not be forced to change because one pupil and her mother “don’t like something”, while Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said headteachers are “best …

Michaela insists it does meet daily worship laws

Michaela insists it does meet daily worship laws

Case shows it is ‘technically impossible to be truly secular’, says campaign group Case shows it is ‘technically impossible to be truly secular’, says campaign group More from this theme Recent articles Michaela Community School has insisted it meets academy funding rules by offering a daily act of worship after comments from its headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh led to claims suggesting otherwise. Birbalsingh has given several interviews after it emerged her school was facing a high court legal challenge by a Muslim pupil for banning prayers. When asked by Teachers Talk radio if her school assemblies have “prayers in them of any kind,” she said: “No, we don’t have prayers and our way of celebrating Christmas, for instance, is very secular.  “There’s a Santa, there’s a Christmas tree, but these are all very secular things.  “We would never have a nativity play, for instance, we don’t talk about Jesus; we absolutely embrace the idea of secularism and from the moment we opened in 2014 we’ve never had a prayer room.” Schools actually have a legal requirement …

Michaela shows the need to end collective worship laws

Michaela shows the need to end collective worship laws

The legal case against Michaela Community School, which decided to restrict how pupils pray, has ignited an explosion of media commentary. Many are appalled at the situation. After Islamic prayer rituals in the playground led to some Muslim pupils being bullied and coerced for being ‘less observant’, Michaela’s governing body voted 11-1 to break up the gatherings. The school was subsequently sent death threats and bomb scares. Teachers have been under attack in their own homes, and subject to horrendous, racist abuse. What’s perhaps surprising is that many commentators and publications aligned politically right of centre are, in the wake of Michaela, putting out pieces that make a very strong case for secularism. Gavin Mortimer The Spectator and Fraser Nelson in The Telegraph have both written favourably about France’s policy of laïcité – its strict exclusion of religion from public spaces, including state schools. Joanna Williams said in Spiked that Michaela should be “applauded,” saying that the “cost of allowing religious, cultural and political division to infiltrate schools is high”. Writing in The Times, Camilla …

Michaela school taken to High Court over prayer ban

Michaela school taken to High Court over prayer ban

‘Britain’s strictest’ school facing judicial review after it banned pupils from praying on its premises, court hears, after privacy bid rejected ‘Britain’s strictest’ school facing judicial review after it banned pupils from praying on its premises, court hears, after privacy bid rejected More from this theme Recent articles Michaela Community School, frequently referred to as “Britain’s strictest”, is facing a High Court challenge from a pupil over its policy banning prayer rituals. The free school in Wembley, north London, is subject to a judicial review over the policy, brought by an affected Muslim pupil who cannot be named for legal reasons.  Issues with the prayer ban came after an incident in March last year involving pupils praying in the playground, the Royal Courts of Justice in London heard ahead of the judicial review starting this afternoon. Katharine Birbalsingh A petition was launched in opposition, reportedly demanding that the school provide a prayer space for students. The court heard threats had been made against the school, including a “bomb hoax”. It was reported in 2016 that …