'Radicalisation risk' at six Muslim private schools, says Ofsted

Pupils at six small Muslim private schools in east London are at risk of extremist views and radicalisation, says Ofsted's chief inspector.

Sir Michael Wilshaw said the pupils' "physical and educational welfare is at serious risk" following a series of emergency inspections. He said all the schools focused too heavily on Islamic teachings. Continue...

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan says the schools will be closed down if changes are not made quickly. 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.

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

Source: BBC