Attempts to close and prosecute illegal Muslim schools are being impeded by some local authorities anxious not to upset community relations, Ofsted’s chief inspector has warned.
In an interview with The Times, Sir Michael Wilshaw accuses some councils of “getting in the way” of his efforts to stop children from being taught in unregistered schools, without checks on their safety or education.
Ofsted has identified 150 to 160 of these potentially illegal schools, which it regards as only the “tip of the iceberg”. The education watchdog is preparing six potential cases for prosecutions and working with the Crown Prosecution Service to pursue illegal schools in the courts. Sir Michael said Ofsted’s lawyers believed, however, that some cases risk being weakened because of the “political correctness” of local authority officials, who fail to report them. [The Times (£)] Read more
