The Trojan Horse Affair
Why the Trojan Horse Affair is important
01.
A hoax letter triggered false rumours of an ‘Islamist plot’ at Park View School in Birmingham. Teachers and staff were investigated, many lost their jobs and careers were ruined.
02.
All accused teachers and staff were cleared after a court found irregularities in the Department of Education’s case. No apologies or compensation was offered, nor demanded.
03.
But this event allowed a small clique in government to argue for Prevent becoming a legal duty in education. Since then, teachers have had to be the eyes of ‘national security’ on children.
04.
The investigation and holding accountable of individuals behind this event is a core step in removing Prevent from schools and further education institutions.
In the News
News articles and analysis related to the Trojan Horse Affair.
The Damage Done
Events and developments that were repercussions of the Trojan Horse Affair.
- Prevent was made a legal duty for teachers, harmfully couched under safeguarding policy.
- ‘British Values’ – a divisive and discriminatory concept – became part of curricula across the UK.
- Educational institutions and staff were included in the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015.
- Mainstream media reporting contributed to a nationwide spike in Islamophobia.
- There was a significant rise in anti-Muslim hate incidents, especially in Birmingham.
- Stigmitization of children who attended Park View, despite it having been ranked outstanding.Â
- Teachers were subjected to lengthy bans and many have not returned to work despite being cleared of any wrongdoing.
Prof John Holmwood is the co-author with Therese O’Toole, of Countering Extremism in British Schools? The Truth about the Birmingham Trojan Horse Affair (Policy Press 2018).
The concluding chapter of the book is available here.
For a detailed ‘explainer’ about the Trojan Horse affair and how it unfolded, as well as its implications, by Prof John Holmwood, expert witness in the investigation, read this PP here.
The New York Times
Trojan Affair podcast
To Hamza Syed, as a journalism student watching the scandal unfold in his city, the whole thing seemed … off. Because through all the official inquiries and heated speeches, no one has ever bothered to answer a basic question: Who wrote the letter? And why?
With the reporter Brian Reed, the host of the hit podcast S-Town, this NYT podcast investigates: Who wrote the Trojan Horse letter? It’s a question people in power DO NOT want anyone asking.
Listen to it here.
Watch our podcast about how the case against the teachers collapsed.