Ofsted reveals “serious risk” to students’ physical and educational welfare in faith schools

By National Secular Society

A series of Ofsted investigations have exposed serious failings in six Islamic schools. The head of Ofsted, Sir Michael Wilshaw has warned the Education Secretary that pupils “may be vulnerable to extremist influences and radicalisation.”

According to Sir Michael Wilshaw: “All schools focused intensively on developing Islamic knowledge and understanding at the expense of other important areas of the curriculum.” Ofsted found that “pupils’ physical and educational welfare is at serious risk.”

At Mazahirul Uloom School inspectors found pupils were unable to tell the difference between sharia law and English law.

The six independent Muslim Schools, all in Tower Hamlets, are failing to provide pupils with “an appropriately broad and balanced curriculum.” In one school the curriculum was focused “entirely on Islamic themes.”

Commenting on the findings, Stephen Evans, National Secular Society campaigns manager, said: “For too long the rights of young people have been neglected by the willingness to allow religious communities to use schools to impose their own values and traditions on children.

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