PARENTS who complained at their children being taught about Islam in religious education classes at a Church of England school have been branded "ignorant and narrow-minded".

The mother of a current pupil and a Muslim whose three children attended the school have rallied to support Creech St Michael Primary School, while an explanatory letter has been sent to parents.

After hearing some parents had voiced concerns, the mother, who wants to remain anonymous, said: "I'm utterly shocked and saddened that such ignorant and narrow-minded views are still held by some, and a little annoyed that the school even acknowledged their ridiculous views as legitimate concerns."

Practising Muslim Osama Elogab, whose children were not taught about their family's faith during their time at the school, said: "I never once complained about the Christian teachings at the school.

"Britain is a multi-cultural society where tolerance of all beliefs is what made the country great.

"If you start singling out one section of society and say you shouldn't be teaching this or that, who's next?

"We want to give children more tolerance, love and understanding of each other.

"Teaching them about other religions and cultures enriches their lives.

"I don't think critics understand the implications of what they are saying - if you ingrain hate it breeds more hate."

The letter to parents from RE teacher Charmian Roberts outlines how an emphasis is put on teaching Christianity, but children also receive "a good grounding in Judaism, Islam and Hinduism".

It adds: "We do not teach children what to believe, but rather we teach them about the beliefs and practices of different faiths, and encourage them to question and reflect on the impact that faith has on people's lives, as well as developing and exploring their own beliefs.

"In RE we are very keen to encourage children to think deeply, to learn to question and debate, to contribute their own ideas and to give reasons for what they believe or think."

Head teacher Jan McCarthy said studying Islam is part of the curriculum, adding: "Our values are Christian values, but we need to teach children about other faiths in the same way we might teach about the Tudors, hoping to promote a society where people have understanding of each other and show respect for each other.

"We're supposed to be preparing children for life in modern Britain as a multi-cultural society and an understanding of various beliefs."

Referring to some parents' concerns, Mrs McCarthy added: "I think they were just looking for clarification.

"Some parents might be concerned we might be getting children to adopt other religions, but that's not the case."

She said pupils may ask questions about the links between Islam and terrorist incidents, adding: "Some children obviously see extreme views on the news. Part of our role is to help them understand that some people hold extreme views, but that isn't representative of the whole faith."