This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-27020970
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Trojan Horse: 25 schools probed over alleged takeover plot | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| An investigation into an alleged hard-line Islamist 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 has appointed former head teacher Ian Kershaw as its chief advisor. | It has appointed former head teacher Ian Kershaw as its chief advisor. |
| 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. | 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 25 schools now being looked at include primaries, secondaries and academies. | The 25 schools now being looked at include primaries, secondaries and academies. |
| The 200-plus reports to the council include emails and calls from staff, parents and governors. | The 200-plus reports to the council include emails and calls from staff, parents and governors. |
| The leader of Birmingham City Council, Sir Albert Bore, said he did not know the full range of issues raised and said it would be wrong to comment on the specifics of the allegations. | The leader of Birmingham City Council, Sir Albert Bore, said he did not know the full range of issues raised and said it would be wrong to comment on the specifics of the allegations. |
| "It is about the general specifics, the behaviour of the schools, what happens within the schools, the school day, the assembly," he said. | "It is about the general specifics, the behaviour of the schools, what happens within the schools, the school day, the assembly," he said. |
| 'Issues in Bradford' | 'Issues in Bradford' |
| Mr Kershaw, who is managing director of Northern Education, will conduct a study and report to a newly-formed review group made up of MPs, police, councillors and faith groups. | Mr Kershaw, who is managing director of Northern Education, will conduct a study and report to a newly-formed review group made up 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. | 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. | 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. |
| Concerns were raised last year when an undated and anonymous letter outlining the alleged plot, dubbed "Operation Trojan Horse", which it claimed had already ousted four head teachers and brought about an adherence to more hard-line Islamic principles. | |
| The letter was apparently penned by someone in Birmingham to a contact in Bradford. | The letter was apparently penned by someone in Birmingham to a contact in Bradford. |
| Sir Albert said the city council had spoken to local authorities in both Manchester and Bradford. | Sir Albert said the city council 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. | "There are certainly issues in Bradford which have similarities with the issues being spoken about in Birmingham," he said. |
| 'Fear of intimidation' | 'Fear of intimidation' |
| He added 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. | He added 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. | "We do not have the relationship with academies as we do with the community schools," he said. |
| Brigid Jones, the council's cabinet member for children and family services, said children should be able to work "without fear of intimidation". | |
| She denied claims from some Muslim parents that a freeze on the recruitment of school governors, while it investigates the claims, was effectively a message that Muslim governors were not welcome. | |
| "We have put a freeze on appointing governors across the city until we can be sure that they're being appointed robustly and in the right possible way," she said. | "We have put a freeze on appointing governors across the city until we can be sure that they're being appointed robustly and in the right possible way," she said. |
| Since the allegations made in the Trojan Horse letter came to light a number of school staff have come forward to make various allegations. | |
| These include claims boys and girls being segregated in classrooms and assemblies, sex education being banned and non-Muslim staff bullied. | These include claims boys and girls being segregated in classrooms and assemblies, sex education being banned and non-Muslim staff bullied. |