Agenda item
RADICALISATION AND EXTREMISM IN SCHOOLS
To consider a report of the Corporate Director, Education, Social Care & Wellbeing
Minutes:
Robert McCulloch-Graham, Corporate Director, Social Care and Wellbeing presented an oral report, apprising the Committee of the progress on the actions recommended in the motion passed at the last meeting in response to the Committee’s concerns on radicalization and extremism of pupils in schools. He apologised to the Committee for the absence of a written report and undertook to provide one at the next meeting.
Robert McCulloch-Graham reported that the Secretary of State had asked the Department of Education to review those schools where there was evidence of links with pupils who had travelled to join the Islamic State in Syria. Six schools in the Borough suspected of potential links to extremist groups had been investigated by the Department of Education and were currently being monitored closely by Officers from the Department for Education’s ‘due diligence and counter-extremism division’. These schools had failed Ofsted Review inspections on various grounds including safeguarding and links with extremist groups. The schools had been put on “heightened risk” and placed under special measures by the Secretary of State with the possibility of closure.
Robert McCulloch-Graham referred to two schools in the Borough previously rated by Ofsted as “outstanding” - John Cass School and Bethnal Green Academy.
In the case of John Cass School the Ofsted had received concerns that pupils had posted links to Islamist extremist material via a Facebook page claiming to be associated with the school, and that the school’s leadership had failed to act appropriately after being informed.
Fears of a wider problem of fanaticism had emerged at Bethnal Green Academy when two pupils attempted to fly out of the country to join the Islamic State in Syria. The school had been investigated for potential links to extremism. Officers from the Department for Education ‘due diligence and counter-extremism division’ investigated the school and the Metropolitan Police and Social Services placed a heightened risk on the situation. As a result a court order was obtained and their passports withheld by the police. It was noted that the Academy was currently being monitored closely. A multi-agency group had been set up which provided referrals to pupils perceived as requiring assistance and weekly talks for parents giving support and advice on extremism.
Robert McCulloch-Graham responded to questions and comments and the following points were noted:
· There were twenty independent Islamic schools registered in the Borough six of the schools had been investigated by the Metropolitan Police as part of a counter-terrorism investigation. A number of these schools had been placed under special measures on the grounds of unsatisfactory curriculum, poor quality of education, promoting religious intolerance, links to extremist groups, child protection and safeguarding.
· The six independent Muslim schools in the borough were also given action plans by Ofsted detailing improvements required in safeguarding, child protection and other areas. The schools inspected included Ebrahim College in Whitechapel and two schools supported by the East London mosque, as well as Jamiatul Ummah boys school in Shadwell.
· Siddeeq Academy, an Islamic tuition center in the Borough had been raided by police as part of a counter-terrorism investigation after it was found to be linked to a convicted extremist. The proprietor, Mizanur Rahman, had been arrested by the Metropolitan Police and the tuition Centre was under closure.
· The Council was doing its best to support and assist all failing schools to improve and transform them to the satisfaction of the Secretary of State.
· It was noted that in raising awareness of rradicalization and extremism of pupils in schools, the Council had taken the following actions:
o widely publicised the issue in School Governors and Teachers’ bulletins;
o The Council proposed to train governing bodies on strategies and procedures in tackling extremism in pupils and in schools in the autumn term;
o The Council was running training sessions for parents working with parents and helping them set up support groups to protect vulnerable pupils from being radicalised or exposed to extremist views, by identifying those individuals and promptly providing the pupils with support;
o Advice leaflets had been sent to residents, schools, local mosques looking carefully at how schools were safeguarding children from extremism and radicalization. The advice material also contained indicators of vulnerability to radicalization’ and ways of preventing violent extremism’;
o It was noted that the Council had not had adequate resources to train all governing bodies on strategies and procedures in tackling extremism in pupils and in schools, organise seminars for Parent Governors in the summer term 2015, however officers proposed train all governing bodies from the autumn 2015 Term;
o That the contents of the proposed training programme including training materials to be used for the proposed seminars, including videos used by the Metropolitan Police to combat terrorism e.g. The SAVE Video and WRAP Video and the use of social media, had been posted on the Council’s website;
o That the proposed tools or training material to be used at the proposed seminars would be sent to Members.
Following discussion, Members expressed concern about reports in the media on the disappearance of hundreds of pupils from school registers in schools in the Borough - potentially placing them at risk of falling prey to extremist ideologies. Ofsted sanctioned a series of unannounced inspections on seven schools in each area in the wake of extremism and radicalization of pupils, a number of schools faced the threat of a take-over by hardline Islamists. The inspections revealed that the schools had little or no information about the destinations of the aforesaid pupils who had left the schools. It was noted that in Tower Hamlets, the service provided was welfare officers making contact with the families involved to ascertain their whereabouts.
Members expressed the view that there was a need to encourage a debate on the issue of radicalization and extremism at the community level. Members considered that this might assist schools in establishing the difference between extremism and general cultural practices, holiday destinations of pupils and safeguarding children against extremism. In addition, it would elicit options for schools, in particular, independent schools on improving standards such as establishing free schools,
Robert McCulloch-Graham reported on the counter-terrorism and security bill currently being debated in Parliament which was outlined by Theresa May, the Home Secretary. He undertook to produce a briefing note on this matter to circulate to Members.
Action By: Robert McCulloch-Graham, Corporate Director, Social Care and Wellbeing
It was noted that the proposed Bill would place a statutory duty on school/ institutions to prevent pupils and students from being drawn into terrorism. Members expressed concern that this would place an enormous duty on schools/educational institutions and staff. The Director undertook to seek legal advice on the lawfulness and unenforceability of such a regulation in the efforts to tackle extremism in the UK as a whole.
Following further discussion, the Committee
RESOLVED -
1. To noted that the Council’s policy was to support all schools in the Borough under special measures through inspections, interventions and assistance with their action plans.
2. Request the Corporate Director, Social Care and Wellbeing to explore other sources of funding to enable the Council to provide the resource it would require to support failing schools and schools under threat of extremist takeover.
3. Request the Corporate Director, Social Care and Wellbeing to submit a written report on rradicalization and extremism of pupils in schools.
Action By: Robert McCulloch-Graham, Corporate Director, Social Care and Wellbeing;
Monica Forty, Learning & Achievement;
Liz Vickerie, Support for Learning.