MI5 starts screening 'free schools' for extremists
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.MI5 is monitoring applications to set up "free schools" to ensure they do not become a cover for teaching extreme views, the Education Secretary disclosed yesterday.
Michael Gove said that the intelligence services were checking the backgrounds of organisations and individuals bidding to run the schools, which are state-funded but independent of local authorities.
"I have been crystal clear that we should not have schools which are set up by extremists, whether they're Christian fundamentalists, Islamic fundamentalists or any other sort of outrageous and beyond-the-pale organisation," he told BBC1's Andrew Marr show.
"There have been one or two disturbing cases with existing state schools where people have been trying to subvert them." Mr Gove said he had also set up a team in the Department for Education to check applications for extremist ideology and the Government was reviewing the science curriculum to ensure "there is no space for the teaching of wackoidal theories".
The first 24 "free schools" open this month.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments