In response to a parliamentary question tabled by Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson John Pugh, the Department for Education (DfE) have confirmed that they are currently investigating 21 suspected illegal schools, many of which are thought to be religious. Stating that the Government were taking ‘robust steps to tackle unregistered schools’, Education Minister Edward Timpson said that the DfE had directed Ofsted to visit and inspect all of the institutions about which they had concerns, and reiterated that ‘prosecutions’ would be pursued when unregistered schools were found to be operating. The British Humanist Association (BHA), which has been working closely with former pupils of illegal ‘faith’ schools to highlight the issue, has repeated its calls for both the DfE and Ofsted to further crack down on these schools and ensure the children within them receive the education to which they are entitled.
Unregistered schools have received significant attention in recent months, and Ofsted Chief Inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw wrote to the Education Secretary Nicky Morgan twice about the issue at the end of last year. Drawing particular attention to the problem of illegal ‘faith’ schools, the letters detailed the narrow, scripture-focused curriculum taught in many of these institutions, and revealed that on more than one occasion inspectors had identified the use of ‘misogynistic, homophobic and anti-Semitic material’ by teachers.
Sir Michael, who recently established a dedicated taskforce for tackling illegal schools, was also critical of the DfE’s response to this issue, claiming that officials had provided ‘unhelpful advice’ which led to many of these schools remaining open even after they had been identified by the authorities. Indeed, only last month the BHA revealed that an illegal strictly Orthodox Jewish school had been able to stay open for 40 years, despite the fact that a number of recent Ofsted investigations had uncovered an education that ‘did not provide lessons in written and spoken English’ and which ‘encouraged cultural and ethnic insularity’.
Worryingly, in confirming that 21 institutions were currently being investigated by the DfE, Edward Timpson said that ‘this number often changes’ as new settings are identified or existing ones are shut down, leading to fresh questions about the extent to which the Government is on top of the problem.
BHA Faith Schools and Education Campaigner Jay Harman commented, ‘We have highlighted the issue of unregistered “faith” schools time and time again in recent years, and given how long the problem has been ignored, we’re glad that there now seems to be at least some effort to crack down on them. However, the Government has a responsibility to every single child trapped in one of these places, and it must take swifter and more comprehensive action if we are to avoid more children being subjected to the totally unacceptable education that these illegal schools provide.’
Notes
For further information or comment, please contact BHA Faith Schools and Education Campaigner Jay Harman on jay@humanists.uk or 020 7324 3078.
Read the BHA’s previous news item ‘BHA reveals illegal Jewish school allowed to stay open for years despite repeated Ofsted warnings’: https://humanists.uk/2016/01/15/bha-reveals-illegal-jewish-school-allowed-to-stay-open-for-years-despite-repeated-ofsted-warnings/
Read the BHA’s previous news item ‘Ofsted seeks prosecutions as more illegal “faith” schools are identified’: https://humanists.uk/2015/12/11/ofsted-seeks-prosecutions-as-more-illegal-faith-schools-are-identified/
Watch the BHA’s exposé on BBC London on unregistered Jewish schools in North London: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hICjMR7Tj1w
Read more about the BHA’s work on ‘faith’ schools: https://humanists.uk/campaigns/schools-and-education/faith-schools/
The British Humanist Association is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people who seek to live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity. It promotes a secular state and equal treatment in law and policy of everyone, regardless of religion or belief.