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| David Cameron: Prime Minister warns over extremist teaching | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Religious supplementary schools in England that teach children intolerance will be investigated and closed down, Prime Minister David Cameron has said. | |
| In his speech to the Conservative Party Conference, Mr Cameron promised to open these religious schools to inspection. | In his speech to the Conservative Party Conference, Mr Cameron promised to open these religious schools to inspection. |
| He said there was no problem with children learning about their faith in specialised supplementary Muslim, Christian or Jewish schools. | |
| But children's minds must be broadened and not "filled with poison". | But children's minds must be broadened and not "filled with poison". |
| Mr Cameron told delegates: "Did you know, in our country, there are some children who spend several hours each day at a madrassa? | Mr Cameron told delegates: "Did you know, in our country, there are some children who spend several hours each day at a madrassa? |
| "Let me be clear: there is nothing wrong with children learning about their faith, whether it's at madrassas, Sunday schools or Jewish yeshivas. | "Let me be clear: there is nothing wrong with children learning about their faith, whether it's at madrassas, Sunday schools or Jewish yeshivas. |
| "But in some madrassas, we've got children being taught that they shouldn't mix with people of other religions; being beaten; swallowing conspiracy theories about Jewish people. | "But in some madrassas, we've got children being taught that they shouldn't mix with people of other religions; being beaten; swallowing conspiracy theories about Jewish people. |
| "These children should be having their minds opened, their horizons broadened, not having their heads filled with poison and their hearts filled with hate. | "These children should be having their minds opened, their horizons broadened, not having their heads filled with poison and their hearts filled with hate. |
| "So I can announce this today: if an institution is teaching children intensively, then whatever its religion, we will, like any other school, make it register so it can be inspected. | "So I can announce this today: if an institution is teaching children intensively, then whatever its religion, we will, like any other school, make it register so it can be inspected. |
| "And be in no doubt: if you are teaching intolerance, we will shut you down." | "And be in no doubt: if you are teaching intolerance, we will shut you down." |
| Analysis by Branwen Jeffreys, BBC Education Editor | Analysis by Branwen Jeffreys, BBC Education Editor |
| It's only a year since plans for a voluntary code of conduct for madrassas were shelved by the Department for Education. | It's only a year since plans for a voluntary code of conduct for madrassas were shelved by the Department for Education. |
| Now, the government is going considerably further, with plans to consult then legislate to require supplementary religious schools to register and face what is being described as a "light touch" inspection regime. | Now, the government is going considerably further, with plans to consult then legislate to require supplementary religious schools to register and face what is being described as a "light touch" inspection regime. |
| While any law would be broadly framed to include all religions, the thresholds of numbers of children and hours per week are likely to be set at a level that would exclude conventional Sunday schools as well as home education. | While any law would be broadly framed to include all religions, the thresholds of numbers of children and hours per week are likely to be set at a level that would exclude conventional Sunday schools as well as home education. |
| This is about what is being described privately as the "hard edge" of some religious instruction that crosses firmly into the territory of inciting hatred or intolerance. | This is about what is being described privately as the "hard edge" of some religious instruction that crosses firmly into the territory of inciting hatred or intolerance. |
| There will be no tolerance of corporal punishment, but no prescription of what or how religious beliefs can be taught. | There will be no tolerance of corporal punishment, but no prescription of what or how religious beliefs can be taught. |
| Of course, the reality of trying to define that in law will prove complex and highly contentious. | Of course, the reality of trying to define that in law will prove complex and highly contentious. |
| Ofsted may be less than keen to take on the additional role of trying to enforce sanctions, which could include plans to change through to closure. | Ofsted may be less than keen to take on the additional role of trying to enforce sanctions, which could include plans to change through to closure. |
| The prime minister said extremist religious supplementary schools were part of a wider problem of segregation within some communities, adding extreme madrassas "incubate these divisions". | The prime minister said extremist religious supplementary schools were part of a wider problem of segregation within some communities, adding extreme madrassas "incubate these divisions". |
| Eight hours of study | |
| Downing Street said that the new inspection regime would apply to religious institutions offering eight or more hours of study a week to children in England. | |
| This could include Christian Sunday schools and Jewish yeshivas, but is more likely to cover up to 2,000 Muslim madrassas. | |
| Many religious supplementary schools offer teaching within places of worship, but others are conducted in homes. | |
| Currently, they are not required to register with the authorities and are not subject to inspection, but under Mr Cameron's plans, they would have to register with the Department for Education. | |
| Faith groups would be consulted on the precise details of how inspections should be carried out and whether they should be done by the schools watchdog, Ofsted, or another body. | |
| The BBC understands the government will launch a consultation on the plan "swiftly". | |
| A Number 10 source said that Mr Cameron's initiative came in response to concerns raised about some madrassas by members of the Muslim community. | |
| It was expected no problems would be found with the vast majority of madrassas, the source added. | |
| But Pascale Vassie from the National Resource Centre for Supplementary Education told the BBC the plans could be counterproductive. | |
| "Of course quality assurance is needed but so is support, encouragement and training," she said. | |
| "If insufficient money is spent on training and supporting what are often voluntary workers, it could be entirely counterproductive. It could even push some organisations underground." |