The lessons of Birmingham Schools

I'm just glad it's being dealt with. Hope they continue to keep a watch out for Muslim extremism in our schools.

I'm pleased that it is all being sorted out and that things will, hopefully, get back on track.

I do hope they have learned a lesson about keeping quiet:

The education secretary warned that the council's inability to intervene reflected a "culture of not wanting to address difficult problems where there is a risk of accusations of racism or Islamophobia".

The accusation of 'racist' to any comment that doesn't support a minority group has to be reigned in or it will lead to further things such as this.

The report also stated: He [Peter Clarke] said the social media messages included "explicit homophobia; highly offensive comments about British service personnel; a stated ambition to increase segregation in the school; disparagement of strands of Islam; scepticism about the truth of reports of the murder of Lee Rigby and the Boston bombings; and a constant undercurrent of anti-western, anti-American and anti-Israeli sentiment".

Which begs the question: if they want to run an Islamic school in that fashion, why start one in the UK in the first place?

Were you watching the tv news Aka? I caught some of the radio 4 coverage whilst making my early morning cup of tea. The snippet I heard was reporting what I'd already read in the morning paper. As I read/hear it, there has been a problem, the problem was made known to Gove and co, to the Council and no effective action was taken.

No surprise though, that the current education minister stands by her predecessors work on free and academy schools. Whilst in no way defending the notion of a sunni stranglehold on schools, what about the schools that teach creationism?

What is to be done about the growth of faith schools, with agenda's that most of us see as just a bit extreme? I can't imagine any government would find it easy/possible to separate faith and education, but if nothing else, the problems identified in Birmingham should lead to a proper debate on the subject.

I was annoyed with the reporting on the National News of the latest report into the 'Trojan Horse' allegations in Birmingham schools. The BBC trotted out, yet again, the same token female stridently asserting 'not so' despite the report's findings.

The local news 'Central' reports featured the HT of one of the schools who had been forced by her governing body to go against her better judgement and Muslim parents who said they were pleased this had all been made public as now their school could get on with educating their children without this influence. Plus the same strident, token female.

Where was the balance in the BBC reporting?

Yes Gove is giving himself more powers - to "withdraw funding" from an academy if he does not like the attitudes of a governing body. In other words close it down and try to find someone else to run it.

The LA used to do bait of drafting in aka because they knew who was who in the area. The trouble with academies is that they are not necessarily plugged into those networks.

Thank goodness for that Ana I thought it was me

I've given up, Aka...

???

And if things do not go Gove's way, he changes the law to suit.

By 'drafting in' I mean when a non-parent is approached and asked if they would be willing to serve on the GB. At one time an Advisor was usually asked to represent LEA and if a church school someone to represent the Diocese. I was approached recently, but I honestly haven't the time or inclination for the sort of internal politics that often accompany such roles.

Respect to those who do such voluntary work.

I have tried recruiting Muslim governors, amongst others, aka.
Had a bright young graduate once, for a year, but her job was busy and then she married (a Welsh man - but it was OK cos he converted )
Otherwise the dads usually worked evenings in restaurants and taxis and the mums were at home looking after kids.
I'm sure there are lots of schools in affluent areas where they struggle to find governors who can and do actually stay on top of the ever increasing list of things they are accountable for. Preventing radicalisation is one of the most recent. The list includes all the things a normal employer does (in a variously unionised environment) , safeguarding of children, educational performance, performance and pay of staff, recruitment etc etc
Also there is no mechanism for "drafting in" aka. Academies are responsible for recruiting their own governors. Sometimes they advertise in the paper for community governors, but there is not a queue forming to take on such an onerous task. Same with small charities looking for trustees.

getting a good governing body together is a huge challenge everywhere, and that is part of the problem. They have huge responsibilities placed on them and many are not able to cope with it.

Jess I think it is a touch elitist to suggest that just because an area is almost monoculturally Muslim they are lacking the calibre of people who are capable of running a good Board of Governors.

These areas are not ghettoes. There are professional families living here.

But then again many a Board of Governors is made up from parents who are simply interested in their children's education and others, with the more advanced skills like yourself, are drafted in.

Another week has passed and I have thought about the Birmingham schools often. Sleepwalking has indeed occurred in Iraq and caught all the intelligence services on the hop. I think Theresa May is right that the most serious threat to this country is from those returning from fighting in the middle east.
I am also very angry with Gove for his botched handling of the Birmingham schools, most of which, as academies, were in his direct control. He (and the previous government) has chivvied schools into giving up their relationship with the LA (both sticks and carrots have been used) and setting up new schools, for which he is also directly responsible. This has been done even in areas where it is really hard to get good governors with the finance, management, HR and education experience that a good GB needs. It can be difficult to get governors at all, let alone ones that make a contribution. Huge risks were taken (Park View, Outstanding school, urged to take on other schools despite the immediate risk of an Outstanding school like that having staff poached from every side, and the risk of the head taking eye off ball. It has now been destroyed which is very sad for the kids.)
I know of at least one of Gove's academy that has yet to have an OFSTED visit, 2 years after opening, (its supposed to happen in a year) and there is no other monitoring of a GB unless there is an academy sponsor that takes an interest. Gove, operator that he is, has made this all the fault of the Muslims and Birmingham council. Got to hand it to him.

I fear they won't though rosesarered - they will 'sleepwalk' into a nightmare and wonder how on earth it all happened.

I agree HollyDaze and that is exactly why liberal [over-liberal] heads must come out of the sand immediately if not sooner.

UK Government's Spanish Inquisition tool? Witchunt?

'Telling Muslims that not to believe in homosexuality and that it is a sin, they will face harrassment from Ofsted' - weren't Christians told exactly the same thing? In fact, weren't we all told that?

'No amount of bullying from the government, politicians or the media will lead us to abandon our Islamic values' 'they are non-negotiable, non-negotiable'

'The Quran and (can't make out what he's saying next) are our guidance and what we believe are the best source of values, morals, behaviours, systems for ALL (his emphasis, not mine) of mankind'

He cites that liberal values have led to children raping children in UK schools - he doesn't mention the abduction and raping of 13 year old girls that goes on in Islam ruled societies - let alone the other atrocities that occur.

'Muslims should be at the forefront of questioning the effect of secular, liberal values'

Islam teaches them to treat others with respect and dignity regardless of race, colour or creed - ?

It does rather beg the question that if they find the liberal ideas of the UK so repellant, why do they want to live in British society? If Islam is so wonderful and perfect, why aren't they beating a hasty retreat to Islam ruled areas of the world in search of a better life (which is what was being suggested on other threads and as being perfectly understandable for people to do).

I think there will be many who listen to the emphasis he places on his words will, at the very least, feel a tad bit concerned. Britain is not an Islamic country and never has been - the British may be welcoming and tolerant but does that mean they have to be welcoming and tolerant of everything?

These are the two lads I mentioned before - the comment is made at 1:26
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XjSnzMGaSA

Not that long ago, it was Irish men blowing things up - still is in some cases. I don't remember any hysteria about radicalisation in schools then. It was accepted in many quarters that the segregation of school children according to their parents' faith was probably not a good thing since it didn't tend towards tolerance and harmony in the community but there was, as far as I remember, no cry for the schools to be closed or the management to be transferred to Westminster. What's the difference?

What I found disturbing about the youtube clip, were his generalisations about British culture - which were quite as bad as those that we might make about all muslims being radicalised or terrorists. And this is where the problem lies - bald blanket perceptions that do not have any subtlety.

If he finds our culture so unacceptable he can choose to leave it - this is not a racist statement. If I were living in a culture that I disliked as intensely as he appears to do ours, I would seriously think about emigrating to somewhere where my values were shared.

I know he is probably 2nd or third generation British - but he does have choices that do not involve a blanket criticism of the indigenous culture.

He and his family are lucky to live in a culture where his wish to bring his children up as muslims and to practice his faith is allowed and supported. I endorse that policy. But he has to be realistic and recognise that some muslims are being radicalised, and we would be mad not to acknowledge that and find ways of dealing with it. Concerns have been expressed about these schools and we should look into it - not to do so would be a failure of duty to all those children.

Who has used the racist label? A rational discussion is preferable to using extreme terms.

I couldn't care less about that, whenim64 I believe that one of the men involved in either the tube train terrorist bombing or the bus bombing, was a teaching assistant in a primary school.Years of pussy-footing and being uber liberal have given extremists time to infiltrate mosques, schools and universities.When extreme Christians, Hindu's and Jews start blowing our citizens up in our own country [it won't happen] that's when we can worry about what they are being taught in schools.That's why we need to be on the alert about what goes on in Muslim schools.

Well, they were Muslims were n't they? (as well as being extremists) Do we really have to explain our every remark for fear of being labelled racist?

Do you mean extremist Islamists who have become terrorists, *roses?' I can imagine the big majority of young Muslim men would be highly offended by your generalisation.

Pussy-footing around the schools issue is the last thing we should be doing.

Eloethan you say 'why does AKA continually focus on issues that have arisen in Muslim schools?' Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that it is Muslim young men blowing things [people] up in our country.So we cannot be complacent about the risk of allowing children/teenagers to become radicalized within either our schools or universities. Difficult to police the mosques on this, but we can do something about the schools.