Trojan horse teachers 'gave pupils handout saying wives cannot refuse sex'
Disciplinary hearing told that three staff in one of Birmingham schools allegedly infiltrated by religious extremists handed document to male students
Teachers at a school embroiled in the Trojan horse scandal distributed a document to male pupils claiming wives could not refuse sex from their husbands, a professional disciplinary hearing has heard.
A former teacher at Park View school in Birmingham told the hearing she was “absolutely horrified” when she was made aware of the document.
The teacher, who can be identified only as Witness A, said it was given to the pupils by three male staff members who were teaching sex education lessons at the school, including Akeel Ahmed and Inamulhaq Anwar, who are facing disciplinary hearings by the National College of Teaching and Leadership (NCTL).
Tahir Alam, former chair of governors at Park View Educational Trust in Birmingham, accused of ‘undermining British values’
Ahmed and Anwar – who both taught at Park View, one of the state schools at the centre of the Trojan horse allegations of a conspiracy to promote conservative Islamic practices – are alleged to have taken part in “unacceptable professional conduct” as part of a group attempting to impose “an undue amount of religious influence in the education of pupils”.
Witness A, who appeared before the tribunal at the NCTL’s Coventry headquarters via video link, said she had been in charge of sex and relationship education for a period at Park View. She claimed the male teachers, including Ahmed and Anwar, did not teach male pupils about condom use “because within Islam you only have sex with your wife as a good Muslim that is what you do”.
The former teacher said another colleague confiscated a handout she said had been used in sex education lessons.
“I recall that the handout was on an A4 sheet of paper in black and white text and had a grainy image at the top, it looked like something that had been downloaded from the internet,” she said in her witness statement.
“Although I cannot remember the exact words I recall that the handout included phrases stating that a woman could not refuse her husband in marriage and that included that she could not say no to her husband having sex with her.
“The handout included quotes from the Qur’an, I recall that the wording was very strong and the best way I can describe it now is that it was along the lines of ‘hell, fire and damnation’ for any woman who said no to her husband including in matters of sexual intercourse.”
When the document was brought to the attention of school leadership, a special assembly was held and the boys told “that what they had been taught was not permitted in the eyes of British law and that it was rape,” she added.
Under cross-examination from Ahmed’s lawyer, Witness A said she could not be sure the document had been distributed by the three teachers, and agreed that it could have been downloaded by a pupil outside of the school. “I suppose I could be wrong,” she said.
The witness also claimed that some teachers at the school encouraged prefects to act as “a morality squad”, including informing staff about gossip involving pupils who were in a relationship. The pupils would be sent to the school’s isolation unit for at least a day and their parents informed, she said.
She said she had not raised any concerns about the school’s sex and relationships policy with Ofsted inspectors during their visit in January 2012, when the school was given an outstanding rating for pupil behaviour and safeguarding, and said she had been allowed to design a new sex education syllabus for the school.
The disciplinary hearings are the final act in the Trojan Horse saga, which has encompassed multiple investigations and changes of management within the schools involved following an anonymous letter that emerged in early 2014, alleging a widespread conspiracy by conservative Muslims.
The hearings continue this week, with more beginning next week that will include Lindsey Clark, Park View’s former headteacher, who was awarded an OBE for services to education, and Hardeep Saini, the school’s executive head at the time the Trojan horse letter was published. Although neither are Muslim, Clark and Saini are alleged to have allowed other staff and governors to impose undue religious influence.
The pair could be banned from teaching for life or for a period, with the final decision to be made by the education secretary, Nicky Morgan.
Other teachers and senior staff at Park View – which has since been renamed as Rockwood academy – and other schools including Oldknow academy in Birmingham will also come before the NCTL panel, with hearings expected to continue into next year.
Another anonymous witness, known as Witness C, told the panel that a group of teachers and governors, including Anwar, had sought to appoint a candidate for a teaching job at Nansen primary school – later to be managed by the Park View academy trust – against her wishes, alleging a conflict of interest.
Under cross-examination, Witness C said she had been outvoted by other members of the appointment panel, and said it had been a close decision, even though she thought the other candidate was more qualified.
The hearing continues.
