Islamist plot: has extremism entered Birmingham schools?

 
       

  
  
   
       Credits:    Christopher Furlong/Getty Images     Alt Text:    Birmingham mosque      

  
 
      
    So-called 'Trojan Horse' plot emerged from a  dubious letter and spiralled into a political storm     
 
        Briefing  
    
    Wednesday, May 14, 2014 - 2:01pm  
      THE chairman of governors at Park View Academy, a Birmingham school at the centre of claims about an Islamist takeover plot, insisted today that "there is no extremism" promoted at his school. Tahir Alam said that claims made about the academy were false and that the political storm over the allegations has been "blown out of all proportion". 
 Park View is one of 25 schools facing investigation over the alleged plot, so what exactly is going on? 
  How did the 'Trojan Horse' plot emerge?  
 An  anonymous letter  was leaked to newspapers in March, which supposedly demonstrated how state schools could be taken over and pushed into adopting a more Islamic culture. The letter proposed to force out school leaders and replace them with staff sympathetic to their religious agenda. It claimed that these tactics had already been used in a number of Birmingham schools, describing the plot as 'Operation Trojan Horse'. 
  Was the 'Trojan Horse' letter real?  
 The letter is widely assumed to be a fake. But while some say it was a hoax to stir racial tensions, others believe it was an attempt by a whistleblower to alert authorities about genuine concerns at Birmingham schools. Once the letter emerged, Birmingham City Council received "hundreds" of allegations similar to those illustrated in the letter, dating back over 20 years. One teacher from Park View told the  Sunday Times  about discrimination against girls, homophobia, segregation, extremist views, creationism, bullying and unfair disciplinary practices at the school. In one sex-education lesson, a worksheet said women could not deny their husbands under Islamic law, she said. Two anonymous members of staff from the school also told  BBC Radio 4  that school assemblies had praised Anwar al-Awlaki, the former head of Al-Qaeda. Last week, the National Association of Head Teachers said it had serious concerns about attempts to "alter the character" of at least six schools and warned the "plot" was spreading across the country. 
  How have the schools responded?  
 Park View School has strongly rejected the allegations. Tahir Alam dismissed the "ridiculous assertions" and described the scandal as a media-generated "frenzy". He claimed the accusations were "motivated by anti-Muslim, anti-Islam sentiment" and said the education trust has become the victim of a "witch-hunt". 
  Who is investigating the schools?  
 Ofsted, the Department for Education, West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council are, between them, investigating 25 schools. Education Secretary Michael Gove came under fire for appointing Peter Clarke, the Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism chief, to investigate on behalf of his department as 'education commissioner'. The chief constable of West Midlands Police Chris Sims was among those to criticise the move, saying that people could draw "unwarranted conclusions" from Clarke's former role in counter-terrorism. 
  What will the investigations find?  
 The reports are yet to be published, but at least  six schools  are expected to be placed in "special measures" by Ofsted, which could see their entire leadership removed, says the  Daily Telegraph.  According to the Sunday Times, an overall report from Ofsted is understood to blame "radical religious ideology" for flaws in leadership, management and the safeguarding of children. The individual school reports, due to be published in June, are expected to reveal attempts to "Islamise" lessons, uniform, staff and seating arrangements, with some governing bodies dominated by Muslim governors and head teachers allegedly sidelined, says the newspaper. One head teacher has already quit after seeing the results of his school's inspection. 
  What are the political implications?  
 Some parents and the Labour Party have laid the blame on Gove's education policies, as many of the schools affected had converted to academies, limiting the local authority's control over how they are run. However, some of the schools involved are under local authority oversight. Gove has written to all schools and colleges in England urging them to watch out for signs of radicalisation in the wake of the so-called Trojan Horse plot.  ·   
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