Antisexist/Antiracist Education ‐‐ a False Dilemma: a Reply to Walkling and Brannigan

Abstract

Writing in the January 1986 issue of the Journal of Moral Education, Walkling and Brannigan draw attention to an apparent conflict between antiracist and antisexist education. They argue that antiracists, by accepting demands from sections of the Muslim community for single‐sex and denominational schools, may be seen as inhibiting the emancipation of Muslim girls. We attempt to highlight the conservative implications of their argument and show, among otherthings, that it is premissed upon an impoverished understanding of both antiracist and antisexist initiatives, a simplistic and misleading portrayal of Muslim culture (and in particular family life), and a specious juxtaposition of state education as ‘transformative’ and single‐sex Muslim schools as ‘transmissionist’.