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Teaching logic/philosophy to Year 4 students in a Muslim school

CREME, in conjunction with the Philosophy Foundation, initiated a teaching and research project of teaching philosophy at Iqra VA Primary School in Lambeth. The course initially consisted of hourly sessions for 10 weeks exploring topics in logic (e.g. paradoxes, fallacies, co-relation and causation) with Year 4 pupils.

Preliminary feedback from students, teachers and parents indicated the sessions were very well received. All stakeholders felt pupils benefitted in terms of their reasoning capacity, argument formulation, ability to engage in a discussion and attention to details of language. Based on these outcomes, the school decided to expand the programme and offer it to all students from Reception class (age 4) upwards.

Though teaching of logic and reasoning is an educational good in itself, the programme's warm reception in a Muslim faith school is unprecedented and has contributed to a significant broadening of the curriculum entitlement for students.

Iqra Primary School's Headteacher, Humaira Saleem, and Andy West, Senior Specialist and training officer at the Philosophy Foundation presented their reflections and findings on the project at a special seminar at IOE on 19 May 2016.

For further information, email ioe.creme@ucl.ac.uk