Batley Grammar School

[Brahumbug]

I am outraged that a howling mob of thugs has been allowed to gather at Batley Grammar School to threaten a teacher and demand his sacking. The headmaster has issued a groveling, spineless apology. The threats have been condemned by such as the National Secular Society. The cause if this nonsense? During a lesson on blasphemy, its self the ultimate victimless crime, the teacher showed cartoons of Muhammad. Free soeech is once agsin under attack by religious groups claiming special privileges for their beliefs, absolutely disgusting.

As I understand it, the protesters are calling for the teacher to be sacked rather than suspended. Irrespective of whether you believe what he did merits sacking, surely the protestors must realise that you can't just sack someone on the spot - you have to go through a disciplinary process. The school can't do anything more at the moment than suspend him, pending an investigation.

@Quadrangle

Given that a teacher in France was beheaded for doing the same does he need police protection? It only takes one extremist..

That’s a good point.

37bellropes

I think the protestors need to get a grip.

An apology and being sent on a training course would have sufficed.

NO apology is necessary as he has done nothing wrong. What training does he need? How to grovel to religious thugs?
The jobs outside the school should be prosecuted for section 5 offences, which They have clearly committed.

Just read they are not even parents at the moment school, said the school has failed in the safe guarding

Muslim parent at school has written an eloquent letter in support of the teacher of course the issue with that is now that parent may need protection.

All these thugs need taking into custody and questioning, that school has had to close today.

Who's to say there's anything wrong with what was said?

History lessons include the study of racist propaganda. You can't not show it. In a lesson on blasphemy, you'd expect to see examples of blasphemy.

(sounds much more engaging than the lazy twaddle our RE teacher peddled out week after week - and applies to other interesting debates - for example I have zero belief in Uluru as a sacred site, why then should I not climb it?)

Here is a statement that was read out by one of the protesters. I find the last paragraph quite unsettling.

STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY

We, the Muslim community object to and condemn the use of all and any religiously offensive material in schools, as has happened at Batley Grammar this week.
In this particular instance, the use of the materials was done in a deliberately threatening and provocative manner leaving the children concerned for their safety and wellbeing.
The teacher breached their position of trust andfailed in their duty of safeguarding and this issue must be addressed as a matter of urgency.
We do not accept that the school has taken this issue seriously - given that it has taken them FOUR DAYS to merely suspend only one of the teachers involved.
The teachers concerned must be independently investigated with senior stakeholders from the Muslim community being involved. The incident from Monday 22 March must also be investigated from a criminal perspective given that it was a clear attempt to stir up religious hatred.
We call upon the entire British Muslim community to review the materials being taught in their children's schools whether they relate to offensive content or inappropriate relationship and sex education, if you have concern for the emaan of your children.

The problem is the authorities that could do something about this are not, MPs are too scared to act. Police find it easier to stand back to certain people and others would get prosecuted/fined for the exact same actions.
This is what upsets people. That the country claimed to be secular liberal and free but incidents like this prove we are anything but.

And parents should not have such control over the subjects taught in schools. There are individual faith schools in the U.K. that allow the prohibition of secular views. People should send their dc to religious schools if they want their religion to dictate what other people at the same school do.

The saddest part is that if anyone publicly speaks out against the protests they run a very real threat of being beheaded or murdered in some other horrendous way.

@FallenSky

Here is a statement that was read out by one of the protesters. I find the last paragraph quite unsettling.

STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY

We, the Muslim community object to and condemn the use of all and any religiously offensive material in schools, as has happened at Batley Grammar this week.
In this particular instance, the use of the materials was done in a deliberately threatening and provocative manner leaving the children concerned for their safety and wellbeing.
The teacher breached their position of trust andfailed in their duty of safeguarding and this issue must be addressed as a matter of urgency.
We do not accept that the school has taken this issue seriously - given that it has taken them FOUR DAYS to merely suspend only one of the teachers involved.
The teachers concerned must be independently investigated with senior stakeholders from the Muslim community being involved. The incident from Monday 22 March must also be investigated from a criminal perspective given that it was a clear attempt to stir up religious hatred.
We call upon the entire British Muslim community to review the materials being taught in their children's schools whether they relate to offensive content or inappropriate relationship and sex education, if you have concern for the emaan of your children.

I hate to hark back to Harry and Megan, but if you make a statement like that you simply have to back it up with facts.

You can't simply say "it was threatening" and follow with a call to action without explaining what materials were shown and why they were threatening.

Students have a petition running for the reinstatement of the teacher:

chng.it/ZyZYbh6r

And how is not 'calling on the entire British Muslim community' not incite an obvious division in society.

I think it's safe to say we won't see anyone being rolled around the floor by our constantly

An apology and being sent on a training course would have sufficed

A ‘training course’ sounds sinister. Would it be similar to a Soviet ‘re-education’ course?

It’s good to see so many students and parents are writing comments on the petition to stand up for the teacher and it gives a bit more context to the lesson too. It’s a shame the headteacher hasn’t done the same.

I did think the protestors were more football hooligan than protestor.
Bit of a mess really. Hopefully it'll calm down soon.

The protesters need to be moved on or arrested. The media need to be moved on. The head teacher needs to support his staff better,

The school needs to open with police presence if needed.

I suspect a good many of the people signing the petition now are not directly connected with the school.

The speed the signatures are racking up looks more like its gone viral amongst different sectors of the political and social community. Very concerning.

@BarbaraofSeville

I suspect a good many of the people signing the petition now are not directly connected with the school.

The speed the signatures are racking up looks more like its gone viral amongst different sectors of the political and social community. Very concerning.

Why? Anyone is entitled to sign and have an opinion.

“Muslim parent at school has written an eloquent letter in support of the teacher”
@SprungisSpringYaY - please can you provide a link?

Yes, but reading some of the more recent comments, the whole issue now seems to have been taken over by overt and unpleasant racism. It's starting to look like it could blow up even more than it has done already.

There's been riots over the years in this county and I wouldn't be surprised if it happened again.

@BarbaraofSeville

I suspect a good many of the people signing the petition now are not directly connected with the school.

The speed the signatures are racking up looks more like its gone viral amongst different sectors of the political and social community. Very concerning.

The 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Twitter Crew are having a field day with this.

Does anyone know why that teacher chose to do this?

Based on their decision to deliberate distress half their class, they don't seem like the kind of person who should be allowed anywhere near children to be honest.