A Muslim faith school in Yorkshire was been rated “good” by Ofsted despite banning its pupils from socialising with ‘outsiders’.
An investigation by Sky News found that the Institute of Islamic Education in Dewsbury, northern England, threatened to expel students who mixed with other children.
In its most recent inspection report, Ofsted specifically praised the religious school for preparing its pupils to cater for the changing needs of British Muslims and explained how pupils are ‘dedicated to their Islamic studies’.
It concluded: “The Islamic Institute of Education provides a good quality of education and meets its stated aims very well.” The school is housed in Dewsbury’s Markazi mosque compound, and is run by the Tablighi Jamaat sect, which imposes a strict Sharia code on students.
Sky News obtained copies of documents given to parents which state that students “socialising with outsiders… will be expelled if there is no improvement after cautioning”.
The school’s Pupil and Parent Handbook contains a Sharia section which lists “items that are prohibited in Islam” including portable televisions, cameras and so on. It says boarders are also banned from wearing un-Islamic garments and using music players or mobile phones at any time, the Times reported.
Official inspection reports spanning 11 years have highlighted a lack of school trips and no formal sex education.