'Trojan Horse' governor appeals against school ban

Tahir Alam has launched an appeal against the ban

A former chairman of governors has launched an appeal to overturn a ban imposed on him over an alleged "Trojan Horse" Muslim takeover plot in schools.

Tahir Alam was banned from involvement in schools by the Department for Education (DfE) in September 2015.

Officials ruled he had engaged in conduct aimed at undermining fundamental British values.

Mr Alam, the former head of governors for Park View Education Trust, has always denied any wrongdoing.

A specialist tribunal began analysing appeal evidence on Wednesday.

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Lawyers representing the Education Secretary Justine Greening said the ban was "appropriate" and should not be "revoked."

Martin Chamberlain QC said Mr Alam had "espoused a conservative, intolerant and narrow faith-based ideology" and "believed that the practices associated with this ideology should be imposed on state-funded non-faith schools with predominantly Muslim pupils."

Lawyers claim evidence will show:

• Boys had been taught that a wife could not refuse sex with her husband and sex and relationship education lessons referred to a "woman obeying her husband"

• Male Muslim staff members pressured pupils to attend prayers. Evidence showed that an one assembly children were told: "If you do not pray you are worse than a Kaffir"

• Park View had prefects who were chosen "on the basis of their strict Muslim faith" and delivered "Islamic themed assemblies"

• Trust governors, and Mr Alam "in particular", discouraged participation in non-Muslim festivals, such as Christmas

• Mr Alam discriminated against gay applicants for teaching jobs and condoned homophobic behaviour by teachers and governors

Under the ban, Mr Alam is prohibited from holding governor roles in all independent schools, academies, free schools, and maintained schools.

Mr Alam argued that investigators had a "pre-conceived agenda" and had reached "unfair or inaccurate" conclusions.

The hearing in London is expected to last several days.