Mallard backdown on Muslim prayer room

Education Minister Trevor Mallard was last night forced into an embarrassing backdown after discovering a school he had "condemned" for building a Muslim prayer room had been helped by his own ministry officials.

Mr Mallard apologised to Hagley Community College in Christchurch after earlier publicly criticising it for using taxpayers' money to build the facility for Muslim students.

He had said in a written reply to questions from the Act Party that the school had been ill-advised to act against the secular intent of the Education Act.

But last night he issued a statement saying that the Ministry of Education had "approved and assisted" the school in its endeavour.

"I will be discussing this with the Secretary of Education. I will also be discussing with the secretary the fact that I was not briefed on the actions of the Christchurch office when this matter was first raised last year."

Mr Mallard said he would "certainly" not have have made his earlier comments had he been fully briefed.

"It is my expectation that both the school and I will receive an apology for the embarrassment we have suffered.

"While I stand by my view that the spending was inappropriate, I apologise to the school for the anguish they have suffered."

The two-room classroom provides a place of worship and washing facilities for the school's 130-strong Muslim migrant community.

The school had offered a student prayer room for the past seven years and the new building was an upgrade.

The school's associate principal, Rex Gibson, said the furore had been brought about because the minister had not done his homework. "We think it's all a bit odd really."

The situation had been complicated because people described the building as a mosque, which implied instruction.

"In fact it's just a quiet room for Muslim students, who are mainly Somali and Afghan refugees, to go for a quiet moment to say their prayers.

"The money was never used inappropriately, it was specifically for this use."

Mr Mallard says the funding was an advance on the school's accommodation entitlement under the secondary school property guide, which sets out how much space schools are entitled to by roll size.

"I still believe public funding in schools should only be used for educational purposes."

Before Mr Mallard's backtrack, Act MP Rodney Hide asked the Auditor-General to investigate the spending, saying it appeared from what Mr Mallard had said that the use of the money on a mosque was inappropriate.

Mr Mallard - last week appointed Race Relations Minister - had said that schools made their own decisions about how they used their funding, but the college had stepped over the mark.

"I have condemned the Hagley Community College Board of Trustees' use of funding meant for building improvements to provide facilities for a particular religious group," Mr Mallard wrote in response to Mr Hide.

"The board has an obligation to comply with the secular provisions of the Education Act 1989 and I regard its decision to be ill advised."

A Christchurch Press report from November 2003 said the "Government-funded mosque" had cost $121,000.

Labour's Christchurch Central MP Tim Barnett said at the time critics of the building should be "ashamed" of their opinions.

"I was astonished that people raised the question of a state school's involvement in the building. I am ashamed of people who raised questions in that way," Mr Barnett told the Press in November.

The building meant the students no longer had to walk 45 minutes to Christchurch's only mosque for daily prayers.

Mr Hide said it was clear the college board was getting mixed messages.

"The local Government MP condemned the critics while the minister has condemned the board of trustees and agreed with the critics."

- NZPA