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Trojan Horse report finds 'aggressive Islamist ethos' in schools Trojan Horse report finds 'aggressive Islamist ethos' in schools
(about 1 hour later)
A leaked report into the so-called "Trojan Horse" plot has found evidence there was an agenda to introduce "an intolerant and aggressive Islamist ethos" into some Birmingham schools.A leaked report into the so-called "Trojan Horse" plot has found evidence there was an agenda to introduce "an intolerant and aggressive Islamist ethos" into some Birmingham schools.
The report, revealed in The Guardian, was ordered by the government after claims some Muslim groups were trying to take control in some schools.The report, revealed in The Guardian, was ordered by the government after claims some Muslim groups were trying to take control in some schools.
The Department for Education has said it will not comment on the leaks.The Department for Education has said it will not comment on the leaks.
Birmingham City council is releasing its own report later on Friday. Birmingham City Council released its own report on Friday.
'Very serious'
The government's report was compiled by retired senior police officer Peter Clarke, the former head of the Met Police's counter-terrorism unit. It is due to be published next week.The government's report was compiled by retired senior police officer Peter Clarke, the former head of the Met Police's counter-terrorism unit. It is due to be published next week.
It says he found evidence of "sustained and co-ordinated agenda to impose upon children in a number of Birmingham schools the segregationist attitudes and practices of a hardline and politicised strain of Sunni Islam".It says he found evidence of "sustained and co-ordinated agenda to impose upon children in a number of Birmingham schools the segregationist attitudes and practices of a hardline and politicised strain of Sunni Islam".
He also found evidence of a "co-ordinated, deliberate and sustained action to introduce an intolerant and aggressive Islamist ethos into some schools in the city". Birmingham's report, compiled by former head teacher Ian Kershaw, differed in its conclusions.
The agenda would have confined "schoolchildren within an intolerant, inward-looking monoculture that would severely inhibit their participation in the life of modern Britain," the leaked report says. It said there was "no evidence of a conspiracy to promote an anti-British agenda, violent extremism or radicalisation in schools" in the east of the city.
A spokesman for the DfE said: "The allegations made in relation to some schools in Birmingham are very serious and we are investigating all evidence put to us in conjunction with Ofsted and Birmingham City Council." Mr Kershaw did find "key individuals" promoting Islamic principles in schools and "noted a pattern of these individuals moving between schools".
He said Mr Clarke would be reporting back shortly and it was vital the inquiry was carried out impartially and without pre-judgement. He did not conclude whether the original "Trojan Horse" letter was a hoax, as has been claimed.
When Mr Clarke's appointment was announced, West Midlands Police criticised the decision. But he found evidence that the "five steps" outlined in the original letter as a means of destabilising school leadership were "present in a large number of the schools considered part of the investigation".
Chief Constable Chris Sims said Mr Clarke had "many qualities" but people would "inevitably draw unwarranted conclusions from his former role". His report said evidence pointed to a group of "British male governors and teachers, predominantly of Pakistani heritage", which have formed in order to address perceived failings in some schools.
Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said his union was disturbed by the Clarke review findings but not surprised. Mr Kershaw said the tactics employed by these groups were often "improper" and there was a "pattern" to their behaviour but it stopped short of a widespread plot.
They reflected concerns raised in May about improper governance and staffing and "a narrowing of entitlement for children", he said. He said their motivation seemed to be an attempt to "raise standards" based on a "genuine and understandable desire...to improve education and opportunities for Muslim pupils."
"We do not need an over-reaction. This is not a criticism of the Islamic faith, but of a narrow current within it," he said. "The evidence is not sufficient to lead me to construe the behaviour to be a co-ordinated plan to improperly influence the direction or management of schools serving students of predominantly Islamic faith or background," he said.
The city council's report, carried out by former head teacher Sir Ian Kershaw, is understood to be critical of the governance of a number of schools in the city but found no evidence of violent extremism, radicalisation or an anti-British agenda being promoted. Mr Kershaw also says Birmingham City Council was "slow to respond" to allegations in the letter and accused education chiefs in the city of "poor oversight".
The council itself is thought to come in for criticism in the report for its failure to monitor and intervene at the schools involved. He identifies a "culture within [the council] of not wanting to address difficult issues and problems with school governance" for risk of bringing accusations of racism or Islamophobia.
Last month, Ofsted and the Education Funding Agency published their reports and five schools were placed in special measures as a result.
The schools involved have always denied any wrongdoing.
On Tuesday, the board of trustees resigned at Park View Education Trust, which has been at the centre of claims, stating they had been the victims of a "co-ordinated and vicious" attack.
The trust has been the focus of allegations made in the anonymous Trojan Horse letter - now widely held to be a hoax - alleging the existence of a clique of hardline Muslims attempting to seize control of Birmingham schools.