Government reaffirms commitment to madrassa inspections
Adam Offord
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
The government has said it still intends to push ahead with plans to inspect out-of-school education settings such as Islamic madrassas and church youth groups, close to a year after draft proposals were put out to consultation.
Under government plans that went out to consultation in November 2015, out-of-school settings would become subject to inspection if they are providing a child with more than six hours a week of education.
But there has been no word from government on the outcome of the consultation, which closed on 11 January. Since then Theresa May has taken over from David Cameron as Prime Minister and Justine Greening has taken over from Nicky Morgan as Education Secretary.
However, a government response to a report on counter terrorism by the joint committee on human rights reveals that the government remains committed to inspections of out-of-school settings.
"Following our call for evidence, we have been considering the range of views expressed in response and how best to take the policy forward," the response states.
"We will set out next steps in due course, and will continue to work closely with faith communities and other interested parties like the police, educational establishments and local authorities, to ensure that the proposed system of regulation is targeted, proportionate and focuses firmly on those settings which are failing to safeguard and promote children's wellbeing."
The joint committee said in its report that it is not convinced that existing safeguarding measures covering out-of-school settings are inadequate, adding that it "does not support a regime of routine inspections" and has "very grave concerns" about proposals for a regime of compulsory registration.
Christian organisations have also raised concerns about the plans, calling for them to be scrapped because they do not believe that Ofsted should become the "state regulator of religion", arguing that inspecting Sunday school classes, youth meetings and Bible study would be "highly intrusive".
However, the government has come under fire from others for not doing enough to keep children safe in out-of-school settings.
Last November Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw called on then Education Secretary Nicky Morgan to take urgent action to protect children by cracking down on unregistered schools, claiming that "not enough is being done".
And in May this year he warned that more children than previously thought are at risk of "harm and indoctrination", stating that the number of illegal schools identified by the watchdog since the turn of the year had passed the 100 mark.
