Curriculum for Cohesion
SOAS

What impact are we having?

Curriculum for Cohesion is developing minds to heal a fractured world by enriching the school curriculum, by moving academic thinking forward, and by training teachers, judges, barristers, prison officers and journalists in improved understandings of the relationship of Islam and Muslims to liberal democratic societies.

  1. Impact of the work Curriculum for Cohesion has already completed in the period 2011-15
  2. Impact of the work Curriculum for Cohesion plans to undertake in the period 2015-2017

1. Impact of the work Curriculum for Cohesion has already completed in the period 2011-15

  • Our three reports and policy work with the National Review Curriculum for History (2011-2012) have ensured that every child in English secondary schools, circa five million pupils, will learn something about the historical contribution of Islam and Muslims over the next 20 years with the knock-on benefits in terms of historical knowledge and community cohesion.
  • The outcome of 12 teacher-training events has been that 240 teachers studying at the leading academic institutions are now able to incorporate teaching about Islam and Islamic civilisation more effectively, fairly and accurately into their classroom practice. If each teacher has an average career of 15 teaching years and teaches an average of 50 new pupils a year, this equates to circa 180,000 children directly benefitting from our better-trained teachers in nuanced understandings of the relationship of Islam and Muslim to the ideas and adherents of other faiths.
  • The outcome of one workshop for 100 sixth form students is that 100 school leavers now understand better their rights and responsibilities as British citizens.
  • The outcome of two judicial training events is that circa 200 of the UK’s senior judges and barristers now know how Islam-related matters and young Muslims can be more knowledgeably and fairly dealt with in court.
  • The outcome of two media training events at the BBC’s College of Journalism has been that circa 80 of the UK’s leading up-and-coming journalists can reflect on how to make their coverage of Islam more accurate, balanced and fair.
  • The outcome of four peer-reviewed papers has been that hundreds of leading international academics understand better how to investigate the ways in which people of religious faith relate to modern life in multi-faith societies.
  • The outcome of six international conference papers is that circa 1,200 leading academics from the UK and abroad have been exposed to the ideas and results of Curriculum for Cohesion’s work, thereby disseminating new and useful concepts about cohesive education around the world.
  • The outcome of Dr Wilkinson’s book, A Fresh Look at Islam in a Multi-faith World: a philosophy for success through education is that increasing numbers of researchers at some of the UK’s leading academic institutions – University of Cardiff, UCL Institute of Education, University of Cambridge and soon at SOAS, University of London – know how to research Islam and Muslims in a way that deploys the full range of contemporary philosophical and social scientific tools in a way that does justice to the intellectual traditions of Islam.

2. Impact of the work Curriculum for Cohesion plans to undertake in the period 2015-2017

  • The outcome of 12 teacher-training events will be that circa 240 further teachers studying at the leading academic institutions will be able to incorporate teaching about Islam and Islamic civilisation more effectively, fairly and accurately into their classroom practice.
  • The outcome of two conferences/workshops for sixth form students will be that 200 school children understand better their rights and responsibilities as British Muslim citizens.
  • The outcome of four judicial training events will be that circa 400 of the UK’s senior judges and barristers know how Islam-related matters and young Muslims can be knowledgeably and fairly dealt with in court.
  • The outcome of four media training events at the BBC’s College of Journalism will be that circa 160 of the UK’s leading up-and-coming journalists know how to make their coverage of Islam more accurate, balanced and fair.
  • The outcome of Dr Wilkinson’s next book, Distinguishing between Islam, Islamism and Violent Extremism: a philosophical-legal guide will be that senior British opinion-informers, including judges, government ministers, other politicians and journalists, are able to distinguish law-abiding, religious Muslims from those whose views and consequent actions may potentially damage themselves and society. This book will draw upon the traditional doctrines of Islam, including Islamic traditions of free speech, as well as relating them creatively to contemporary democratic European values.
  • The outcome of four peer-reviewed papers will be that hundreds of leading international academics will understand better how to investigate the ways in which people of religious faith relate to modern life in multi-faith societies.
  • The outcome of six international conference papers will be that circa 1,200 leading academics from the UK and abroad will be exposed to the ideas and results of Curriculum for Cohesion’s work, thereby disseminating new and useful concepts about cohesive education around the world.
  • The outcome of the development of the educational elements of the British Museum Exhibition to open in 2017 called, Representing the House of Islam from the Atlantic to the Pacific will be that thousands of visitors to London are exposed to a more interesting, integrated and accurate picture of the historical achievements of Islamic civilisation, as a means for considering what Muslims can contribute to society in the present and future.

 

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