OFSTED and Islamic 'schools'

stanga

Established Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2004
Messages
1,074
Reaction score
185
Points
162
Age
45
It would seem some would like to recreate a teaching standard that's probably worse than that found in some backwater Pakistani village.

Illegal unregistered schools face prosecution - BBC News

Shock horror. Ofsted's work to "...promote British values is being undermined by the growth of these unregistered schools."

You don't say.

It's the same old story and at least Ofsted are recognising the problem. I think we need to remove the kid gloves with these peddlers of bigotry and hate.
 
Presumably there aren't girls in those schools if they're as extreme as it sounds, which then begs the question of whether or not the parents send their daughters to proper schools.

Whatever happened with those fairly secretive and unregistered Jewish schools in London, that the authorities knew about but did nothing to stop? (on a Panorama or Dispatches which covered all these dodgy establishments, two or three years ago iirc)

EDIT: investigated by BBC London this month ...

It's estimated up to 1000 boys have disappeared from mainstream education into illegal Orthodox Jewish schools.

BBC London has discovered 12 so called Yeshivas operating in the capital. They're unregistered and aren't monitored or regulated. We contacted them but they haven't got back to us.

Two former pupils have spoken to our education reporter, Marc Ashdown, about their experience.

Watch his full report here http://bbc.in/1Nl2kXr
Looks like it was a C4's Dispatches programme from July 2014 that I was thinking of ...
 
Last edited:
It has been made clear this is about ANY religious schools yet Islam is picked on yet again.
The whole subject on unregulated schools has been allowed to go on for decades.
 
Don't go spoiling the story with a look behind the headlines , no one wants that
 
Islamophobia makes it easy to not bother thinking.
 
Islamophobia makes it easy to not bother thinking.
To be fair the report said it would be investigating all such faith schools but the ones highlighted so far have been in Muslim areas..

While most of the places visited by Ofsted so far have been in Muslim communities, inspectors may also turn their attention to similar unregistered tuition centres operated by other groups.

"It will apply across the board, to any religious group whether Muslim group, Jewish group, or Christian group who wants to operate this sort of provision in unsafe accommodation, in unhygienic and filthy accommodation.

"It will apply to all religious groups, I want to make that absolutely clear," Sir Michael told the BBC.


And Labour education secretary Lucy Powell

"That this government appears to be content to allow children to remain in illegal schools where they are at risk of exposure to narrow curriculums, misogynist, homophobic and anti-Semitic material and staff who haven't been cleared to work with children, is truly shocking," she added.

 
I was referring to the title of the post.
Good quote, it includes the bit where Labour are blaming it on this government although it has been going on for decades. Such is politics.
 
I was referring to the title of the post.
Good quote, it includes the bit where Labour are blaming it on this government although it has been going on for decades. Such is politics.
Free school (England) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Free Schools were introduced by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition following the 2010 general election as part of the Big Society initiative to make it possible for parents, teachers, charities and businesses to set up their own schools.


By going on for "decades" are you thinking of the experimental free schools of the 1970's, which were quite different.

The anarchic experimental schools of the 1970s - BBC News

In the 1970s, idealistic young activists created a wave of experimental schools - no compulsory lessons, no timetables, no rules. So what happened to the kids who attended these free-for-alls?
 
Should be no role for Religion in any school these days. Faith schools should outlawed. If you want religion got to a place of worship not a school.
 
It has been made clear this is about ANY religious schools yet Islam is picked on yet again.

So what are you saying? Give the subject a wide birth because Ofsted happened to choose so called Islamic schools?

All non-compliant faith schools need to be looked at. But taking a pragmatic approach, in a climate where resources are limited, I think seriously looking at Islamic schools given the problem we have with a radicalised youth should be the priority, don't you?
 
I get fed up with all this pussy-footing about when it comes to religious schools. OFSTED found clear evidence of racist and homophobic teaching and materials. That is clearly illegal (inciting hatred) so shouldn't be down to OFSTED - the police should just go in and arrest the head and the governors - charge them with hate crimes.

BTW - the schools in question have been Islam and Judaism based.

Cheers,

Nigel
 
So what are you saying? Give the subject a wide birth because Ofsted happened to choose so called Islamic schools?

All non-compliant faith schools need to be looked at. But taking a pragmatic approach, in a climate where resources are limited, I think seriously looking at Islamic schools given the problem we have with a radicalised youth should be the priority, don't you?

I think the point is "free schools" shouldn't be allowed to be as non secular schools.

Something I'd agree with
 
So what are you saying? Give the subject a wide birth because Ofsted happened to choose so called Islamic schools?
Turning things around again.
Schools of any faith should be held to the same criteria.
 
Turning things around again.
Schools of any faith should be held to the same criteria.

But where do you prioritise inspection and enforcement resources?

It's the real world we have to live in - hard times and harder decisions.
 
Oh, I don't know.
Follow the evidence as you get it?
 
Oh, I don't know.
Follow the evidence as you get it?

So you follow the evidence as you get it from the inspectors. Where do you prioritise sending the inspectors (the question you haven't answered)?
 
Should be no role for Religion in any school these days. Faith schools should outlawed. If you want religion got to a place of worship not a school.

We're in danger of discussing different topics and getting them muddled.

Most faith schools are state schools which receive a little extra funding (5%) from the church.

They are subject to OFSTED inspection, and are closely regulated.

In principle I object, but in practice, on balance they're bringing in extra funding to the education system, and they're really not a problem. My kids go to a CofE school (it was closest, and they'd been to Nursery in the same grounds), and there's no indoctrination.

These 'free' school, for me the problem isn't that they're religious, it's that they're 'free'. It's not difficult to imagine all sorts of dodgy goings on, quite apart from religion.

Steve W
 
We're in danger of discussing different topics and getting them muddled.

Most faith schools are state schools which receive a little extra funding (5%) from the church.

They are subject to OFSTED inspection, and are closely regulated.

In principle I object, but in practice, on balance they're bringing in extra funding to the education system, and they're really not a problem. My kids go to a CofE school (it was closest, and they'd been to Nursery in the same grounds), and there's no indoctrination.

These 'free' school, for me the problem isn't that they're religious, it's that they're 'free'. It's not difficult to imagine all sorts of dodgy goings on, quite apart from religion.

Steve W

There's also all sorts of dodgy funding going on with academies.

It seems the government has turned a blind eye to dodgy goings on in schools in order to alleviate funding commitments from the state.
 
So you follow the evidence as you get it from the inspectors. Where do you prioritise sending the inspectors (the question you haven't answered)?
Did I say from the inspectors? yet again you put words into my mouth.
 
Most faith schools are state schools which receive a little extra funding (5%) from the church.

They are subject to OFSTED inspection, and are closely regulated.
Quite agree. We are in danger of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Many CofE and R/C schools do provide a high standard of education, and no indoctrination. A few prayers here and there and a nativity play. Just because we have Islamic schools that are failing and need serious attention for all sorts of reasons does not mean we should stop all religious schools.
 
All held to the same standard, faith school or not.
Fair.
 
^^^ and cracking down on illegal unregistered schools which, by definition, escaped Ofsted ... until now

What seems to be clear, as also in that Dispatches report, is that they're focusing on the illegal Islamic schools, while still allowing the illegal Orthodox Jewish schools to get away with their nonsense.
The ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jewish schools in the London Borough of Hackney ‘operating illegally and without the most basic health, safety and child welfare checks’. Channel 4 Dispatches has shocking evidence that Hackney Council, the Department for Education and Ofsted have all known about the schools for years
 
I don't think any of us would disagree that unregulated 'schools' (the place students go for their compulsory education) are illegal and should be closed down immediately.

All schools should be teaching a broad and balanced curriculum and staffed by professionals.

The likes of Sunday schools and Islamic lessons in mosques in an evening are something quite different.

Steve W
 
^^^ and cracking down on illegal unregistered schools which, by definition, escaped Ofsted ... until now

What seems to be clear, as also in that Dispatches report, is that they're focusing on the illegal Islamic schools, while still allowing the illegal Orthodox Jewish schools to get away with their nonsense.
And there we have it.
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom