Up to 100 Islamist teachers could be banned from schools after investigation into their links with Trojan Horse scandal found dozens claiming Lee Rigby's murder was a hoax
- Teaching watchdog investigating some 100 staff with links to the scandal
- In some Birmingham schools, Islamic views forced on staff and pupils
- Alleged al-Qaeda style video with masked gunmen copied in a classroom
- Also claimed teachers punished children by making them kneel on tiles
- Staff members also alleged sent offensive messages in a WhatsApp group
- Messages claimed murder of Lee Rigby and Boston bombings were a hoax
Up
to 100 Islamic teachers could be banned from working in schools for life
following an investigation into their alleged links to the Trojan Horse
scandal.
It
is understood a teaching watchdog is working on possible disciplinary
cases against current and former staff members at some schools in
Birmingham where extremist Islamic views were being forced on pupils and
staff.
This
includes allegations an al-Qaeda style video featuring masked gunmen
was copied in a classroom and teachers punished pupils by making them
kneel on tiles.
More
than 50 teachers - called the Park View Brotherhood - also alleged
exchanged as many as 3,000 messages in a WhatsApp group which included
offensive comments about British soldiers and claimed the murder of
soldier Lee Rigby was a hoax.
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Park View School in Birmingham was one
of the schools placed in special measures after inspectors found
systemic failings in safeguarding pupils against extremism - up to 100
teachers are now being investigated
It
is understood the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) -
the profession's watchdog responsible for banning teachers from
classrooms - is looking at 30 disciplinary cases, with an expectation
many more teachers will be targeted for their part in the affair.
The
probe into the Islamic plot last year found evidence of anti-Western
rhetoric, intolerance towards gays and creating the perception of a
worldwide conspiracy against Muslims.
Golden
Hillock School, Nansen Primary School, Park View School - all run by
the Park View Educational Trust - Oldknow Academy and Saltley School in
Birmingham were placed in special measures after inspectors found
systemic failings in safeguarding pupils against extremism.
Another school investigated, Alston Primary, was already in special measures.
Allegations
under investigation include claims that an al-Qaeda style video was
copied at Park View Academy and teachers punished children by making
them kneel on the floor, the Sunday Times reports.
A
group of teachers - called the Park View Brotherhood - also alleged
exchanged messages in a WhatsApp group where they claimed the murder of
soldier Lee Rigby and the Boston bombings, where two bombs were set off
at the finish line of the city's marathon, were a hoax.
Professional hearings are set to begin next month.
More than 50 teachers alleged
exchanged messages in a WhatsApp group which included offensive comments
about British soldiers and claimed the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in
Woolwich, was a hoax
In his report, Peter Clarke (pictured)
found there had been a 'coordinated, deliberate and sustained action'
to introduce an aggressive Islamic ethos in the schools
The
teaching watchdog has obtained 'dossiers' about some of the 100 staff
it is investigating from the Department for Education as part of its
inquiries.
They
are understood to include information from last year's Trojan Horse
probe headed by Peter Clarke, the former head of counterterrorism at
Scotland Yard.
His
report, published in July, found there had been a 'co-ordinated,
deliberate and sustained action, carried out by a number of associated
individuals, to introduce an intolerant and aggressive Islamic ethos
into a few schools in Birmingham'.
It
also highlighted a 'disconcerting pattern' in the schools, including
nepotism in staff appointments, bullying of senior teachers, a 'strategy
of harassment to oust the head teacher' and the 'reinforcement of
Muslim identity to the exclusion or disparagement of others'.
A
source told the Sunday Times: 'The 100 or so include teachers, teaching
assistants and teaching staff. The Department for Education is feeding
in information to help corroborate some of what the NCTL has, and, in
other cases, flag up new targets.'
'In some cases, some of those teachers and staff are still working at schools, and in other cases they have been removed.
'But although some of them have been removed, the NCTL does not want them to end up anywhere else.'
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