‘School pupils taught wives cannot refuse husband sex’
EDUCATION Secretary Justine Greening has listed 18 “incidents, policies and practices” she wants to be considered by a tribunal analysing issues around an alleged so-called Trojan Horse Islamist takeover plot at schools in Birmingham.
A former chairman of governors at the state secondary school embroiled in the controversy has complained of being made a “scapegoat” and appealed after being barred from involvement in the management of schools by the Department for Education (DfE).
Tahir Alam was chairman of governors at Park View School in Alum Rock, Birmingham, from 1997 to 2014, and chairman of a trust set up to manage the school.
Officials imposed a ban in September 2015 after concluding he had engaged in conduct aimed at undermining fundamental British values.
Mr Alam has challenged the ban at a specialist tribunal hearing in London and says investigators had a “pre-conceived agenda”.
Ms Greening says Mr Alam’s appeal should be dismissed.
Lawyers representing her said Mr Alam “espoused” an “intolerant and narrow faith-based ideology” and that he believed that the “practices associated with this ideology” should be imposed on non-faith schools with predominantly Muslim pupils.
They have provided the tribunal with a list of 18 “incidents, policies and practices” to back up Ms Greening’s case. The list includes allegations that : Boys had been taught that a wife could not refuse sex with her husband.
Pupils were put “under pressure” to pray.
Park View implemented a prefect system that saw students chosen “on the basis of their Muslim faith”.
Governors discouraged participation in non-Muslim festivals, such as Christmas.
Mr Alam ran workshops where he encouraged parents to complain about the teaching of sex and relationship education.
Female teachers and pupils were not treated the same as boys and men.
Pupils were segregated by gender in classes at Park View.
Martin Chamberlain QC, said Mr Alam, plus Park View School and the managing trust, were “at the centre” of the Trojan Horse allegations.
The hearing continues.