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Muslim schools overly focused on Islamic themes - Ofsted 'Radicalisation risk' at six Muslim private schools, says Ofsted
(35 minutes later)
Pupils do not know the difference between Sharia and British law at a Muslim private school in east London, visited as part of six snap Ofsted inspections. Pupils at six small Muslim private schools in east London are at risk of extremist views and radicalisation, says Ofsted's chief inspector.
Inspectors said the curriculum at Mazahirul Uloom School, Tower Hamlets, focused only on Islamic themes. Sir Michael Wilshaw said the pupils' "physical and educational welfare is at serious risk" following a series of emergency inspections.
Pupils here believed it was wrong to learn about other religions and were not taught art, music or drama. He said all the schools focused too heavily on Islamic teachings.
Ofsted said all the schools focused too heavily on Islamic teachings. Education Secretary Nicky Morgan says the schools will be closed down if changes are not made.
Government sources have stressed there is no Trojan Horse-style plot to spread a conservative Muslim ethos here - as found at schools in Birmingham - but there are concerns that pupils are not protected from extremist views. She said: "We asked Ofsted to carry out these independent school inspections and the findings are very concerning. While there is no suggestion of a co-ordinated plot, it is clear that these schools are failing children and this is unacceptable.
Mazahirul Uloom is a small secondary boys' school that professes to teach the National Curriculum and Islamic Sciences, but inspectors found too much of the curriculum "focuses solely on Islamic themes" and judged it inadequate. "All schools must prepare children for life in modern Britain."
They also found pupils had a "narrow view" of women in society. At one school, inspectors found pupils did not know the difference between sharia and British law.
And they said the curriculum at Mazahirul Uloom School in Tower Hamlets "focused solely" on Islamic themes.
In a letter to Nicky Morgan, Sir Michael says: "I am extremely concerned about the large number of failings in each of the six independent schools inspected.
"I am not convinced that the leaders of these schools have sufficient capacity to bring about the necessary improvements to safeguarding, the curriculum and the quality of teaching and learning.
"I believe that, in all six schools, pupils' physical and educational welfare is at serious risk.
"Given the evidence gathered from these inspections, particularly in relation to the narrowness of the curriculum, I am concerned that pupils in these schools may be vulnerable to extremist influences and radicalisation."
Mazahirul Uloom, a small secondary boys' school that professes to teach the National Curriculum and Islamic Sciences, faces the most criticism.
Downgraded
Inspectors said too much of the curriculum "focuses solely on Islamic themes" and judged it inadequate.
Pupils here believed it was wrong to learn about other religions, were not taught art, music or drama and pupils had a "narrow view" of women in society.
Some students told inspectors: "Women stay at home and clean and look after the children. They cook and pray and wait for us to come back from school with homework."Some students told inspectors: "Women stay at home and clean and look after the children. They cook and pray and wait for us to come back from school with homework."
It also said there were no systems in place to check suitability of external speakers and that children were not safe because staff recruitment checks were not rigorous enough. The report also said there were no systems in place to check suitability of external speakers and that children were not safe because staff recruitment checks were not rigorous enough.
'Tolerance' An emergency inspection of the 185-pupil boys' secondary Jammiatul Ummah found good opportunities to study and practise the Islamic faith but pupils were not provided with a broad and balanced curriculum.
An emergency inspection of the 185-pupil boys' secondary Jammiatul Ummah found there were good opportunities to study and practise their Islamic faith but in other respects students were not provided with a broad and balanced curriculum. It was previously judged outstanding but has been downgraded to inadequate. It was previously judged outstanding but has been downgraded to inadequate.
'Mutual respect'
The report said: "The narrowness of the curriculum means that students' spiritual, moral, social and cultural education, in particular their understanding of the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance, is underdeveloped."The report said: "The narrowness of the curriculum means that students' spiritual, moral, social and cultural education, in particular their understanding of the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance, is underdeveloped."
Students also lacked opportunities to learn about music and art, or to be creative in PE.Students also lacked opportunities to learn about music and art, or to be creative in PE.
Ebrahim Academy, a secondary boys schools with 97 pupils, was also found to offer too narrow a curriculum. Ofsted said students were not prepared for life in modern Britain. Ebrahim Academy, a secondary boys' school with 97 pupils, was also found to offer too narrow a curriculum. Ofsted said students were not prepared for life in modern Britain.
One member of staff told inspectors he had identified extremist views in his students' writing, but that he did not share these with leaders. The London East Academy, a 150-pupil boys' secondary, was not providing enough opportunities for students to learn about other faiths and most of the books in the the school's library were Arabic.
The reports follow a series of snap inspections at the schools in October and each school will be given an immediate action plan. The publication comes a day after details leaked of a report on another school, Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat, in Stepney, east London.
Two or three of the schools, all in Tower Hamlets, are said to be "more concerning" than others, but the reports share the sense that Islamic teachings take precedence of the rest of the curriculum
The publication comes a day after details leaked of a report on another school, Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat school, in Stepney, east London.
This is the only state and non-Muslim faith school in the group to be inspected as part of the same set of seven snap inspections and failed for not safeguarding and monitoring pupils adequately.This is the only state and non-Muslim faith school in the group to be inspected as part of the same set of seven snap inspections and failed for not safeguarding and monitoring pupils adequately.
The report highlighted the segregation of boys and girls in indoor and outdoor play areas and the risk of extremism.The report highlighted the segregation of boys and girls in indoor and outdoor play areas and the risk of extremism.
'No jurisdiction''No jurisdiction'
Tower Hamlets council said it could not comment until the reports for all the schools had been published. The six private schools are all in Tower Hamlets, where the council said it had no jurisdiction over teaching and standards at independent faith schools and that its powers were limited to offering safeguarding training and advice to schools.
But director of education Robert McCulloch-Graham said: "We note that of the schools inspected, only one is a publicly funded maintained school. "We have repeatedly offered this assistance to independent schools locally but we cannot compel them to accept this help.
"As is common practice, we will work with the leadership of this school to address any issues identified by Ofsted. "We can - and we do - intervene when individual safeguarding issues are raised.
"As a local education authority, we have no jurisdiction whatsoever over teaching and standards at independent faith schools. This is Ofsted's area of responsibility. "We robustly act to the limit of our powers. We are of course happy to discuss with Ofsted and the Department for Education what role we can play within existing legislation to improve the safeguarding practices at these schools."
"We do, however, have responsibility for safeguarding all children in the borough and have always exercised our safeguarding duties to the full."
Independent schools, academies and free schools already have to adhere to the Independent School Standards (ISS), which demand that schools encourage pupils to "respect" British values.Independent schools, academies and free schools already have to adhere to the Independent School Standards (ISS), which demand that schools encourage pupils to "respect" British values.
Are you a pupil or a parent of student of Mazahirul Uloom School or the other schools mentioned in the report? What are your experiences of the school? You can email your thoughts to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
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