No doubts Trojan Horse did happen insists the council
BIRMINGHAM City Council has insisted the Trojan Horse plot to take over and Islamise schools did happen, after some expressed doubts.
And it promised to “challenge” people who try to deny what happened.
Inquiries in 2014 found there was a “co-ordinated, deliberate and sustained” attempt by a group to take control of some schools and “introduce an intolerant and aggressive Islamic ethos”.
But the authority issued a statement after pressure group MEND organised a debate to discuss whether Trojan Horse really did happen as described.
MEND publicity material advertising the event said: “Has a hoax letter, a media scrum, a forceful education secretary and political motivations in education regulation lead (sic) to the stigmatisation of a community, discrimination against outstanding teachers/school leaders and exam failure for a generation of children?”
The city council highlighted two inquiries, one led by former police officer Peter Clarke for the Department for Education and one by education expert Ian Kershaw for the council, which both confirmed the claims.
The council said in a statement : “We are concerned to ensure that there are no misleading messages given about what really happened during Trojan Horse, and to make it clear that the city council in no way endorses the planned event.
“What happened in the schools caught up in Trojan Horse in 2014 is clearly established and we must not shy away from challenging those who seek to deny there was a serious problem at that time.
“There were a number of inquiries, including the council’s own commissioned external investigation, and we have learned the lessons of the past.”
It added: “Those who dispute what happened in Trojan Horse cannot legitimately dispute the facts and findings of the 2014 Kershaw and Clarke inquiries which include the following key points, which must not be forgotten.”
The authority highlighted the conclusions of Mr Kershaw’s report, which said: “My investigation has found that elements of the five steps referred to in the Trojan Horse Letter are present in a large number of the schools considered as part of the investigation. There are also clear patterns of behaviour amongst groups of individuals which is so common that it is reasonable to infer that there are links between these various individuals.”
And it also highlighted the findings in Mr Clarke’s report, which said: “There has been 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.
“This has been achieved in a number of schools through gaining influence on the governing bodies, installing sympathetic head teachers or senior members of staff, appointing like-minded people to key positions, and seeking to remove head teachers who they do not feel to be sufficiently compliant with their agenda.”
What happened in the schools caught up in Trojan Horse in 2014 is clearly established Birmingham City Council