June 18, 2014

British Officials Plan ‘Dawn Raids’ to Check on Islamic Extremism in Schools


By TREVOR GRUNDY
 ©2014 Religion News Service

British Prime Minister David Cameron has
authorized unannounced inspections
dubbed “dawn raids” on schools in the English midlands after education
inspectors found that some were covering up evidence of Islamist
infiltration.

Beginning Monday (June 9), Cameron took charge of
the British government’s response to allegations that extremist Muslims have
taken over several schools in Birmingham, England’s second-largest city after
London.

Six schools accused of spreading Islamic
extremism will be subject to special measures, including early morning
inspections.

After a series of inspections by officials
at the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, known
as Ofsted, it was discovered that one unnamed school took advantage of a prior
notice of inspection and hastily arranged special lessons for its students on
Christianity.

Cameron told Sir Michael Wilshaw, the head of
Ofsted, to inspect suspect schools without advance notification, saying,
“Protecting our children is one of the first duties of the government, and that
is why the issue of alleged Islamist extremism in Birmingham schools demands a
robust response.”

David Hughes, vice chair of Park View Educational
Trust, which runs three of the schools at the center of a dispute now
dominating the front pages of most British papers, radio and TV news bulletins,
reacted angrily, saying none of the schools in his care would “tolerate or
promote” extremism.

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