100 Islamist teachers face ban

The Sunday Times understands that the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL), the profession’s watchdog which can ban teachers from classrooms, is working on possible disciplinary cases against current and former staff members at schools in Birmingham, which were the focus of the Trojan Horse scandal, which saw efforts by hardline Islamists to take control of state schools.

The NCTL is understood to be examining 30 cases with an expectation that many more will follow. 

Those 30 are believed to be teachers but the 100 mentioned in the headline will include teaching assistants and other teaching staff. Things being investigated include 50 members of staff from schools across Birmingham in a group discussion on islamist matters (insults to British soldiers, the murder of Lee Rigby was a hoax, homophobic remarks and so on).  

The NCTL have considered the findings of Peter Clarke, the former head of counterterrorism at Scotland Yard. Some of the teachers/staff have already been removed from the schools where they wroked; the NCTL is concerned that they will now work elsewhere to equally bad effect.