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Trojan Horse: 25 schools probed over alleged Islamic takeover plot Trojan Horse: 25 schools probed over alleged Islamic takeover plot
(about 1 hour later)
An investigation into an alleged Islamic takeover plot of Birmingham schools has widened, with 25 schools now under the spotlight.An investigation into an alleged Islamic takeover plot of Birmingham schools has widened, with 25 schools now under the spotlight.
Birmingham City Council said it had received more than 200 reports in relation to its inquiry.Birmingham City Council said it had received more than 200 reports in relation to its inquiry.
It said it had set pupils two pieces of work as part of the probe. It has appointed former head teacher Ian Kershaw as its chief advisor.
Anonymous claims that hard-line Muslims were trying to take over the running of some city schools were made in a letter sent to local authorities last year. Anonymous claims hard-line Muslims were trying to take over the running of some city schools were made in a letter sent to local authorities last year.
The authenticity of the so-called "Operation Trojan Horse" letter has not been established. The 25 schools now being looked at include primaries, secondaries and academies.
It was apparently written by someone in Birmingham to a contact in Bradford. The 200-plus reports to the council include emails and calls from staff, parents and governors.
The governor at one of the schools named in the document has denied claims and described them as a "witch hunt". Mr Kershaw, who is managing director of Northern Education, will conduct a study and report to a newly-formed review group of MPs, police, councillors and faith groups.
His report is due to be published alongside a parallel investigation by the Department for Education (DfE) in May.
It will feed into a follow-up document containing recommendations on how schools are run, both locally and nationally, to be released in July, the council said.
'Fear of intimidation'
Concerns were raised last year when an undated and anonymous letter outlining the alleged plot, dubbed "Operation Trojan Horse", which was apparently written by someone in Birmingham to a contact in Bradford.
Birmingham City Council leader Sir Albert Bore said it had spoken to local authorities in both Manchester and Bradford.
"There are certainly issues in Bradford which have similarities with the issues being spoken about in Birmingham," he said.
Sir Albert added that he was frustrated with the two-tier schools system in which academies operate outside the local authority's control and report directly to the DfE.
"We do not have the relationship with academies as we do with the community schools," he said.
He said the council did not know the full range of issues raised. He said it would be wrong to comment on the specifics of the allegations.
Brigid Jones, the council's cabinet member for children and family services, said children should be able to work "without fear of intimidation."