Leaflets found in Muslim school say music ‘acts of devil’

From the BBC, and local newspaper the Tyburn Mail 

Ofsted inspectors have criticised an Islamic independent school, where they found leaflets which claimed music and dancing were “acts of the devil”. Inspectors made an unannounced visit to the Darul Uloom Islamic High School in Birmingham after having previously rated the school as “inadequate”.

Inspectors said pupils were not being protected from “extreme views”.

The school rejected previous Ofsted criticism, saying that it promoted “both Islamic and British values”.

An Ofsted inspection last year had found weaknesses with the school and inspectors returned without warning to monitor how an improvement plan was being implemented.

But inspectors found printed material with “extremist views”.

“A large number of copies of a leaflet containing highly concerning and extremist views, such as “Music, dancing and singing are acts of devil and prohibited” were discovered during the inspection. “The leaflets were found in areas shared by the school and adjoining mosque which are used by leaders and in areas used by the pupils from the school,” said the inspectors.

Ofsted says that it is not clear who produced the leaflets, which they added seemed to be calling for a boycott of a local music festival. The leaflet is understood to have made reference to music in terms of “public indecency” and the “proliferation of sinful activities”.

“Senior leaders and governors do not clearly practise the fundamental British values seen on display in the school, as they allow leaflets containing extremist views to be in the school,” inspectors say.
They also note that, since the last inspection, a female governor has resigned and been replaced by a male governor, but that no written evidence of the resignation can be found.

The damning report says that there are serious weaknesses in teaching, governance and leadership. Inspectors say that they found no evidence of feedback to pupils on their work from teachers. It also warns that there is a lack of evidence that the lessons match the published curriculum.

“For example, the policy states that the biggest timetable weighting has been given to English and mathematics, but inspection evidence and school timetables show that pupils study Arabic for approximately half of the school day.”

The school has 119 boys on roll. Annual fees are £2,500 per pupil.