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/education-27094932
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Ofsted chief Wilshaw takes charge of Trojan Horse | Ofsted chief Wilshaw takes charge of Trojan Horse |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw is to take personal charge of the watchdog's investigation into claims that a number of schools in Birmingham have been taken over by Muslim hardliners. | Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw is to take personal charge of the watchdog's investigation into claims that a number of schools in Birmingham have been taken over by Muslim hardliners. |
| Ofsted has carried out inspections in 18 schools in the city. | Ofsted has carried out inspections in 18 schools in the city. |
| Sir Michael is expected to go to Birmingham this week to finalise the reports from these inspections. | Sir Michael is expected to go to Birmingham this week to finalise the reports from these inspections. |
| Ofsted and the Department for Education are expected to publish their findings in early May. | Ofsted and the Department for Education are expected to publish their findings in early May. |
| The Department for Education has ordered its own review of the evidence in the so-called Trojan Horse conspiracy. | The Department for Education has ordered its own review of the evidence in the so-called Trojan Horse conspiracy. |
| There have been claims that a hardline Muslim faction had sought to gain influence over schools and remove staff who were not sympathetic to their religious agenda. | There have been claims that a hardline Muslim faction had sought to gain influence over schools and remove staff who were not sympathetic to their religious agenda. |
| Ofsted has not commented on claims that leaked inspection reports show serious problems in some schools. | Ofsted has not commented on claims that leaked inspection reports show serious problems in some schools. |
| Segregation | Segregation |
| There have been reports of gender segregation in schools, the undermining of staff and the unfair treatment of non-Muslim pupils. | |
| Birmingham City Council has launched its own investigation into 25 schools. | Birmingham City Council has launched its own investigation into 25 schools. |
| But the chair of governors of one of the Birmingham schools caught up in the claims has denied that his school has faced an Ofsted inspection. | But the chair of governors of one of the Birmingham schools caught up in the claims has denied that his school has faced an Ofsted inspection. |
| Roger King, chair of governors at Springfield primary school and a delegate at the National Union of Teachers conference in Brighton, said that Ofsted last visited the school "maybe two years ago". | |
| Last year he said the school received a letter from the Schools Minister David Laws congratulating staff on raising standards. | Last year he said the school received a letter from the Schools Minister David Laws congratulating staff on raising standards. |
| "We have never had concerns from members saying that schools are segregating girls from boys - or any concerns about inflammatory Islamic assemblies," he said. | "We have never had concerns from members saying that schools are segregating girls from boys - or any concerns about inflammatory Islamic assemblies," he said. |
| Mr King, a local NUT representative in Birmingham, said there had been concerns in schools that had faced snap inspections about a lack of objectivity from Ofsted. | |
| He said that staff "were really upset" about being asked whether they were homophobic. And girls sitting with other girls were asked whether they had been made to sit there. | |
| Park View Educational Trust, which runs schools linked to the allegations, also warned that it was "highly irresponsible" for anyone to suggest that schools will face interventions when neither the Department for Education or Ofsted had completed their reports - and when pupils at the secondary schools were about to take GCSEs. | |
| Park View school served a disadvantaged area and had gone from special measures to outstanding and had a waiting list of children wanting places, said a statement. | |
| 'Demonise' | 'Demonise' |
| Douglas Morgan, a teacher from Birmingham, warned the NUT conference that the inquiries could "demonise the Muslim population of this country". | Douglas Morgan, a teacher from Birmingham, warned the NUT conference that the inquiries could "demonise the Muslim population of this country". |
| During a debate on racism and immigration Mr Morgan called for the teachers' union conference "to send a message that we are against Islamophobia". | During a debate on racism and immigration Mr Morgan called for the teachers' union conference "to send a message that we are against Islamophobia". |
| It is expected that the NUT will hold an emergency debate on the Trojan Horse claims on Monday. | It is expected that the NUT will hold an emergency debate on the Trojan Horse claims on Monday. |
| Education Secretary Michael Gove appointed former counter-terror chief Peter Clarke to examine whether there was any substance to the allegations. | Education Secretary Michael Gove appointed former counter-terror chief Peter Clarke to examine whether there was any substance to the allegations. |
| "No pupils should be exposed to extremist views or radicalisation while at school," said Mr Gove. | |
| On Saturday, Labour's shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt warned against religious extremism in schools. | |
| "We cannot have head teachers forced out, teachers undermined, curricula re-written and cultural or gender-based segregation," he told the NASUWT teachers' conference in Birmingham. | "We cannot have head teachers forced out, teachers undermined, curricula re-written and cultural or gender-based segregation," he told the NASUWT teachers' conference in Birmingham. |
| The inquiry has become known as Trojan Horse because this was the name of a plan for an organised take over of schools in an anonymous letter. | The inquiry has become known as Trojan Horse because this was the name of a plan for an organised take over of schools in an anonymous letter. |
| It has not been established whether the letter is authentic or a hoax. | It has not been established whether the letter is authentic or a hoax. |
| The Department for Education, in a statement this weekend, said investigations into the "very serious" allegations must be "carried out impartially, without pre-judgement" and as such it would be "inappropriate to comment further". | The Department for Education, in a statement this weekend, said investigations into the "very serious" allegations must be "carried out impartially, without pre-judgement" and as such it would be "inappropriate to comment further". |