Education department hits back at MPs over Trojan horse criticisms
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Version 0 of 1. The Department for Education has accused MPs of “undermining” efforts to tackle Islamist extremism in the wake of the Trojan horse allegations. In a departure from parliamentary norms, the DfE bluntly rebutted the conclusions of the Commons education select committee, which published a highly critical investigation into its handling of reports of Islamist influence within Birmingham schools earlier this year. The committee of MPs had concluded “no evidence of extremism or radicalisation, apart from a single isolated incident, was found by any of the inquiries and there was no evidence of a sustained plot nor of a similar situation pertaining elsewhere in the country”, and accused the DfE of a “worrying and wasteful lack of coordination” in its reaction. But the DfE hit back in its official response on Friday, saying: “This downplays the seriousness of events in Birmingham and risks undermining our efforts to tackle extremism. “It is important to state clearly just how damaging these were to the young people in the care of those schools.” The introduction to the DfE response argued that “the risk of young people being radicalised or drawn into terrorism has risen”. “Isil and others are using social media to radicalise and recruit young people, and young people form a growing proportion of those travelling to Syria and Iraq. Events in Birmingham have shown risks that can be present within our schools,” it said. “The rise of Isil presents challenges unimaginable just a year ago. Tackling new threats will require concerted, sustained effort at both central and local level,” the DfE’s response later noted. Graham Stuart, the Conservative MP who chaired the education committee when it published its report and who endorsed the conclusion that there was no evidence of extremism, declined to comment. While there have been cases of school pupils travelling to Syria in an apparent effort to join Isis – such as three girls from east London – to date no pupils from any of the schools involved in Birmingham have been identified doing the same. The DfE’s response leaned heavily on the report into the Trojan horse affair produced by Peter Clarke, the former head of counter-terrorism, commissioned by the then education secretary, Michael Gove. Clarke concluded that in some schools in Birmingham “young people were increasingly encouraged to accept unquestioningly a particular hardline strand of Sunni Islam leaving them vulnerable to radicalisation”. “This meant that through concerted and co-ordinated action, the life chances of young people attending these schools was wilfully narrowed, intolerance was permitted and young people were vulnerable to indoctrination by extremist ideologies,” the DfE said. The Trojan horse controversy erupted in early 2014, after anonymous letters alleged an Islamist plot to influence several schools with high numbers of Muslim pupils, including Regents Park, Adderley, Highfield and Saltley schools in east Birmingham. Ofsted inspected more than 20 schools in the city suspected of involvement, while separate inquiries were undertaken by the Educational Funding Agency and Birmingham city council, as well as Clarke. Five schools were placed in special measures and had a change of management. The letter was identified as a forgery but it named Tahir Alam, the chair of governors of Park View school, as the architect of the plot. Clarke’s report later named Alam as having “connections” to other Muslim governors. Alam has denied the allegations and described Clarke’s report as a “witch-hunt”. Although the DfE response does not name Alam, it does state: “We are also seeking to use new powers to ban implicated governors from involvement in the management of schools.” Alam has received notice from the DfE banning him from acting as a school governor or working in schools, and is considering legal action to appeal against a ban if it is imposed. As many as 50 teachers in the schools involved are facing bans through the National Council of Teaching and Leadership, with hearings expected to be held later this year. The DfE describes the action as “difficult and contentious cases and will take time to conclude”. The DfE’s response comes a day after Sir Michael Wilshaw, Ofsted’s chief inspector, made a visit to Park View school and met staff and governors, along with Sir Mike Tomlinson, the former Ofsted leader who the DfE appointed to oversee the Birmingham school system. Tomlinson said Birmingham schools were suffering recruitment problems caused by the negative publicity around Trojan horse. “The national media have talked very negatively about Birmingham schools,” he said in an interview. The DfE said it was extending Tomlinson’s term as Birmingham education commissioner to March next year. The education committee had also criticised the DfE’s lack of authority over academies. But the DfE responded: “Operating a school-led system in which those at the front line are empowered to act with autonomy is the cornerstone of this government’s education policy.” |