Opinion: Muslim students are being bullied in California public schools. What can we do to stop it?

Allali is a leadership coach and a member of The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Community Advisory Board. She lives in Clairemont.

Muslim students in California public schools are twice as likely to be bullied in school than other students, a new report by the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations reveals. “Examining Islamophobia in California Schools” — the fifth such report by the organization in nearly 10 years — surveyed about 708 Muslim students between the ages of 11 and 18 years old from January to August.

The survey captured Muslim students’ perceptions pre- and post-pandemic. Pre-pandemic, 47 percent of Muslim students reported being bullied because of their faith, more than double the 20 percent of students ages 12-18 who experience bullying nationwide. Thirty percent of Muslim girls who wear the “hijab” or headscarf reported having their hijab offensively touched or pulled. Nearly one of in four Muslim students reported a teacher, staff member or an adult at their school making offensive comments about Muslims or Islam. More than 55 percent of Muslim students in California feel “unsafe, unwelcome or uncomfortable” in public schools because of their religious identity — the highest percentage since the survey began in 2013.

During the pandemic, when schools shifted to online learning and interactions declined, bullying incidents of Muslims declined to about 26 percent. This is clear evidence that schools are not safe learning environments for Muslim students and poses an urgent need for educational leaders to intervene and ensure that Muslim students feel welcome, and respected.

While these statistics are disheartening, the California Department of Education has expressed a commitment to ensuring equity in education and adopted Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, a student-centered approach, that emphasizes promoting achievement and a sense of well-being through cultural entities. The department has also embraced Social Emotional Learning and has joined the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), which infuses academic concepts with social and emotional skills crucial to academic success.

Despite educational reform movements, disparities persist. The inequalities and inconsistent access to resources continue to affect disadvantaged, vulnerable students.

Equity in education towards Muslim students requires understanding the unique challenges and barriers they face, understanding Islamophobia and the interdependent relationships between schools and external contexts, and developing the capacity to understand and manage effectively those external contexts. It requires an integral approach to make Muslim students feel a sense of belonging, safety and inclusiveness. In this approach, education topics are taught through a circular lens. Students are exposed to the realities outside their classrooms and their cultures, and their awareness and mindfulness of their internal world is broadened. This promotes conscious decision-making, self-analysis, self-reflection, invention and respect for differences.

Teachers have great potential to create an equitable classroom environment where Muslim students can thrive if the following steps are observed:

Reflect on positionality and beliefs. Even the most well-intentioned teachers may hold negative assumptions about their Muslim students due to a school’s lack of preparation and training. Understanding positionality makes teachers aware of issues of equity and supports students in the classroom.

Understand students’ backgrounds. Muslim students are not a monolith and may have different experiences and circumstances. Recognizing these differences and similarities is fundamental to ensuring students become leaders of their own learning.

Establish safe and inclusive classrooms. An inclusive classroom climate refers to the classroom atmosphere where all students feel emotionally and academically supported. This is sustained when teachers and students work cohesively for academic progress and thoughtfulness. Teachers have great potential to create an inclusive classroom by presenting non-stereotypical information about Muslim students and their cultures.

Diversify the curriculum. Teachers are expected to teach through various perspectives with the goal of incorporating love and tolerance. When schools value racial and cultural experiences, a safe space for students is created. Now more than ever, we need a diverse curriculum that reflects the rich histories of our communities.

Hold every student to high expectations. When teachers set a high achievement bar for Muslim students, they encourage them to engage in the classroom setting, and evade stereotypes of what they are able of achieving.

Accommodate and be aware of religious holidays. Reasonable accommodations for students are highly needed to make it possible for Muslims to follow their faith, while respecting the school and the religious liberty of students from other faiths. It is important for teachers to foster their knowledge about Islam’s religious celebrations and events.

Encourage parental engagement. This helps create a positive learning environment for students. Student success is a shared interest of both teachers and parents, and engaging parents as partners in a child’s education can greatly impact their growth and success.

Partner with community leaders. Schools in relationships with external Muslim communities enhance their access to resources. Engaging with families in culturally relevant ways and actively supporting children’s learning and development are also positive outcomes.