Students and teachers protest closure of Islamic high school
Days after families were sent scrambling following the abrupt closure of an Islamic high school in Scarborough, some of the affected students came together on Friday to protest.
With less than two weeks before the start of the school year, the Islamic Foundation School (IFS) announced it would be shutting down the grades 9 to 12 classes due to low enrolment as well as administrative and financial issues. The elementary school classes will not be affected.
The union representing teachers says it was given no prior notice of closure and will take legal action.
Nearly 150 students are now in need of finding another place to continue their studies.
In a statement tweeted by IFS on Monday they said they prayed the students would "find a good school."
Shocked by the closure, some of the displaced high school students voiced their outrage in a demonstration outside of the school building.
"We're all kind of scattering to find a school to attend to. It's quite a tragedy that we couldn't end off our last year in the school we once trusted. It just feels devastating," said Humzah Ahmed, a former student of IFS going into grade 12.
Tensions were high as some community members argued that the students protesting were wrong.
Mustafa Nizami, who had completed his first year of high school studies at IFS, said administrators were using low enrolment as an excuse.
"The real reason was because they couldn't afford to pay the teachers," said Nizami.
In May 2017, the school's 35 teachers voted to join a union that also represents teachers at two other Islamic schools in Ontario.
United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union was helping IFS staff negotiate for better wages, benefits, job security, health and safety, as well as respect at work.
"There's an injustice that has taken place and I feel if we keep quiet they'll never hear us.The community is already shattered and we need to know we can rebuild together," said Ahmed.
Like Nizami, he also wonders about the school's finances.
"They asked for an early deposit before the end of June, they haven't given it us back and they still have it and they haven't responded with anything," said Ahmed.
A spokesperson from IFS was not available at the protest, or by phone, for comment on the situation.
