'Trojan horse' head teacher banned indefinitely

A head teacher, who was involved in the ‘Trojan Horse’ plot in Birmingham, has been banned fromn teaching indefinitely.

A head teacher, who was involved in the ‘Trojan Horse’ plot in Birmingham, has been banned from teaching indefinitely.

Jahangir Akbar had been the acting head teacher at Oldknow Academy, one of several schools involved in the plot to radicalise pupils with hard-line Islamic doctrine.

A hearing by a tribunal of the National College of Teaching and Leadership found that he exerted "undue religious influence" on the pupils’ education and "failed to uphold public trust in the profession and maintain high standards of ethics and behaviours".

This is the first time a teacher in Britain has been sanctioned for allowing “undue religious influence” on pupils.

Serious misconduct

Mr Akbar, 38, was accused of segregating boys and girls in classes, banning the celebration of Christmas and Diwali and promoting religious extremism.

The panel found that he put pressure on teachers who did not conform to his views to leave and allowed staff to countersign cheques for expenditure that had not been properly authorised.

He was also said to have "reacted inappropriately" when a parent challenged him about his daughter’s education.

The tribunal said his behaviour amounted to "misconduct of a serious nature".

Paul Heathcoate, working on behalf of Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, revealed this week that Mr Akbar was banned "indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England".

Panel member John Pemberton cleared Mr Akbar of some allegations, including gender segregation, due to lack of evidence. But the panel ruled that his conduct was nonetheless “incompatible with being a teacher”.

Mr Akbar, who is the first of 13 teachers involved in the plot to be sanctioned, will be allowed to apply for the ban to be lifted five years' time, due to 'mitigated evidence'.

Radical Islamic agenda

Oldknow Academy, which was renamed Ark Chamberlain Primary Academy, reportedly held Islamic Friday prayers, organised trips to Mecca subsidised by public funds and led anti-Christian chants in assemblies.

In 2014, a report by the former head of the Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism command, Peter Clarke, had found there was a "co-ordinated, deliberate and sustained action to introduce an intolerant and aggressive Islamic ethos into a few schools in Birmingham".

An investigation was then launched and 13 teachers across five schools have been accused of professional misconduct.

Nature of hard-line Islamic schools exposed

"We welcome this sanction. This incident has helped to expose the nature of hard-line Islamic education. Children are also being exposed to these practices in some state-funded Islamic faith schools,” said Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern.

"The allegations against him were serious: leading the children in anti-Christian chants, promoting Quranic teaching and pressuring anyone who disagreed to leave.

"It is right that he should be removed from the classroom."

Misapplication of precedent

She went on to say that the government must not take this as an excuse to try to tackle Christian schools:

"This is the first time a teacher has been punished for ‘undue religious influence’. Unfortunately, the religious illiteracy of the political elite may well lead to the misapplication of this precedent, and Christians could be targeted.

"We must be clear that these are two faiths that offer two very different outcomes, and the difference between Islamic and Christian schools reflects that vast difference. Christianity has not only given us our great education system, but the very idea of universal education."