Independent Muslim schools in London to face new ‘Trojan Horse’ inquiry

Independent Muslim schools in London are being investigated amid fears that hardline Islamic extremism is being promoted among pupils and staff,

As many as a dozen private schools in Tower Hamlets, east London, are being looked into by officials over reports that fundamentalism is being spread.

A Whitehall source said while investigations are in ‘their very early stages’, there is concern within the Department of Education over a number of fee-paying Muslim schools in the borough which has one of the strongest Muslim communities in the capital.

Unlike the ‘Trojan Horse’ scandal which saw secular schools in Birmingham being infiltrated by extremists, the affected institutions in Tower Hamlets are all thought to be Muslim.

Five schools were placed in special measures in Birmingham earlier this year after evidence suggested the views of Islamic extremists were being pushed upon pupils and staff.

The Department of Education would not confirm whether Tower Hamlets was specifically at risk, but said it would consider ‘any evidence’ brought forward.

‘All schools are subject to a tough inspection regime and we have been clear we will not hesitate to take firm and swift action if pupils are being let down or placed at risk.

‘Keeping our children safe, and ensuring our schools prepare them for life in modern Britain, could not be more important.’

Earlier this week an address in the area was searched as part of an ongoing police effort to crack down on terror.

Eleven men were arrested across the capital and in Stoke-on-Trent as part of the Scotland Yard effort.  

It comes as Ofsted prepares to publish the findings of 40 snap inspections across the country, launched amid concerns that some schools were not offering a broad enough curriculum.

Jewish, Christian and Islamic schools were among those visited in Luton, Bradford, London and Manchester

Former terror chief Peter Clarke told ministers earlier this month it was likely allegations of extremist infiltration at the schools involved in the Trojan Horse scandal could be applied to other institutions across the country.

Golden Hillock School, Nansen Primary School, Park View School, Oldknow Academy and Saltley School – which are all run by the Park View Educational Trust – were placed in special measures following complaints.

Giving evidence to the Commons education select committee, he said it was incumbent on the government to investigate the situation.

‘I’m not a great believer in coincidence and I would find it very surprising if this was only happening in the few schools that we had the time and opportunity to look at in east Birmingham,’ Mr Clarke told the cross-party group of MPs.

‘Some of the people who were involved in promulgating these techniques of gaining control and influence in schools have had national roles in various educational bodies and I know have lectured and taken part in conferences in other cities.’

Earlier this month an inquiry into the Birmingham school heard a ‘violent, extremist’ video was shown in the classroom.

Ian Kershaw, a former head teacher, told the Birmingham City Council that examples of ‘bad behaviour’ in the school included the film, which was ‘completely inappropriate to young people’.  

He described this film as a ‘violent, extremist video’, and when committee chairman Graham Stuart asked if it was ‘jihadist, violent, extremist promotional video’, Mr Kershaw indicated that it was.

/129