Will the real Trojan Horses please stand up?

Mike Scott of Nottingham Left Unity writes on the ‘Trojan Horse’ affair

Let’s be quite clear about one thing: Left Unity must oppose all forms of religious fundamentalism – and that includes Christian, Jewish and Muslim. There is no form of fundamentalism that that is better or worse, they are all equally unacceptable. Whatever our initial feelings about the crisis in Birmingham schools, it is likely that all viewpoints contain at least some degree of truth: there probably are religious extremists who would like to impose their own prejudices on children, but there are other agendas at work as well.

Anyone trying to hack their way through the mass of conflicting opinions is hampered by the complete absence of objectivity on all sides. Everyone insists they and only they are completely in the right. OFSTED, however, is totally discredited by its obsession with statistics of dubious validity (and importance) and its willingness to do the Government’s dirty work. It’s an organisation on a permanent power trip, refusing to give any credence to alternative views – however well supported by the evidence – and dedicated to rooting out difference and worse still, any joy in learning.

The Government in general consists of ex-public schoolboys with no real interest in public sector education, except as a reservoir of cannon-fodder for companies run by their friends. Any organisation that even might oppose this narrow view, such as Trade Unions and Local Authorities, must be prevented from having any influence at all.

And what of Education Secretary Michael Gove in particular? He is the very best example of someone trying to impose his personal views on everyone else – and he’s in a pretty strong position to do so. He is an entirely hypocritical crusader (pun intended) in favour of a British Way of Life that never really existed in the first place. A time when public schoolboys ran the show unhindered and the rest of us did what we were told, and were grateful for being allowed to work for a pittance.

He is totally opposed to fundamentalism, but only if it comes from Muslims. Christian fundamentalism, on the other hand, is to be encouraged and assorted extremists have been given free rein to open their own (publically-funded) schools or to take over existing schools as Academies. That appears to be absolutely fine.

Disgracefully, the Labour Party is not prepared to criticise this – or not in public, at least – and continues to support the myth that private and is good and public is bad. Shadow Education Secretary Tristram Hunt’s own privileged background is very evident in everything he says. Left Unity must make the case for public education and for real inclusion. We need to say loudly and clearly that religion and schools don’t mix, that all schools should be secular and inclusive of every view.

The lesson from Birmingham is not that it is the new frontline in “the battle against extremism”, but that schools must not become the playthings of religious or political extremists.

Mike Scott (Joint Convenor, Left Unity Education Policy Commission)