Secretary of State for Education Ed Balls' response regarding accusations against the Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation
From the DCSF website, http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/news
25 November 2009
The Secretary of State has written to Michael Gove concerning Mr Gove's allegations about the inspection and registration of the Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation schools in Slough and Haringey. The letter follows:
Michael Gove
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
November 2009
Dear Michael
Your letter of 18 November makes a series of allegations about the inspection and registration of the Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation schools in Slough and Haringey. I received the letter on Friday and asked my officials to contact Slough and Haringey to establish the facts. I can confirm that the allegations you make are unfounded.
First, you allege that the two Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation schools are not registered independent schools. In fact they are, and their registration details are publicly available on the Edubase website. To assist your office these are the relevant links: for Slough and for Haringey.
Second, you question whether the Haringey School has ever been inspected. In fact it has been inspected in 2007 and had a follow-up monitoring visit in 2008. The next inspection of the school is due in 2010.
Third, you asked whether appropriate action was taken in 2007 when allegations of possible links between the Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation and Hizb-ut-Tahrir were first made. We take any allegations very seriously and therefore we asked Ofsted to carry out inspections at both schools. They were both inspected in October 2007 and found to be meeting the independent school standard for the spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development of pupils. In those and subsequent inspections, no evidence has been found to support allegations that the schools are teaching anti-Semitic or anti-Western values. Equally, there has been no evidence that the schools are using public funding to 'further radical Islamist aims'.
The inspection reports relating to the Haringey school are not in the public domain as the 2007 inspection and follow up visit in 2008 were the school’s first inspection since registration and practice at the time was for reports not to be published until the schools were well established. Similarly, reports of emergency inspections are not routinely published so the 2007 inspection report of the Slough school has not been published. However, I am happy to make these available to you and they are attached to this letter.
Fourth, you allege that there has been inappropriate use of public funds. In fact, as these schools are registered, and have both been inspected by Ofsted, Haringey and Slough local authorities are entitled to allocate funding to them for early years provision. Following the recent press allegations, Haringey local authority suspended funding to the nursery school pending an investigation. Haringey officials visited the school to make sure the early years provision continues to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation framework. The investigation found no evidence to suggest inappropriate content or influence in the school. Furthermore I understand the school has written (20 November 2009) to state that it no longer has any links with any of the individuals who are alleged to have connections with Hizb ut Tahrir. Haringey has reported that the school is taking steps to make sure that pupils are exposed to a range of influences and learn about different cultures and traditions. One way in which it is doing this is through joint work with the local Church of England Primary school.
I understand that officials in Slough local authority have also sought and received reassurance from the Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation school in their area regarding the suitability of provision in the school.
Fifth, you allege that answers given to Parliamentary Questions on this subject have been incorrect. This is not the case. Ministers’ responses confirming that the schools are registered and have been inspected are correct.
We take the issue of ensuring there is no extremist teaching in both maintained and independent schools very seriously. That is why we have a regulatory framework in place including specific requirements regarding the content of the curriculum, and that unsuitable individuals, for example, members of a proscribed organisation, can be prohibited from taking part in the management of a school. Neither the Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation nor Hizb-ut-Tahrir are proscribed organisations.
I also recently asked Ofsted to carry out a survey of practice in independent faith schools to ensure that the independent schools standard on spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is fit for purpose. Their report, published on 22 October, found that current practice is generally good and that the standard is fit for purpose.
You raise a wider issue about individuals’ suitability to work in schools. We have consistently held the view that the political impartiality of our schools is very important, and that we are not prepared to tolerate any form of racially motivated discrimination or the promotion of partisan activities in our schools. There are clear legal safeguards in place to protect children and young people from racially motivated discrimination and the promotion of political doctrine that advocate discrimination and support racist views.
For independent schools, CRB checks are required on all proprietors of independent schools and proprietors are responsible for checks on their staff and powers in the Education Act 2002 exist to ensure that unsuitable individuals, for example, members of a proscribed organisation, to be prohibited from taking part in the management of a school. I also strongly encourage independent schools to follow the practices of the maintained sector and require those who are eligible to register with the relevant General Teaching Council. All individuals are of course also subject to the provisions of the law regarding, for example, racial and religious hatred and the glorification of terrorism.
As you know, I have asked Maurice Smith to look into the issue of racism in schools and to consider whether there is a case for further measures to maintain trust in the teaching profession and enhance the standing of teachers and to protect children and young people from discrimination and the promotion of political doctrines that advocate racism. In particular, I have asked him to explore whether membership of an organisation that promotes racism is compatible with the duties and behaviours expected of teachers and their professional standing and whether affiliation to a group that promotes racist views provides grounds for barring from the profession. Maurice Smith has been asked to report in January.
In conclusion, I refute the allegations that the schools in question have not been registered or inspected, or that there has been inappropriate use of public funds. No evidence has been found that the schools are not meeting the required standards. If you have found any evidence to the contrary, I would, of course, expect that it would be passed both to my Department and to Ofsted to investigate further.
Ed Balls MP
