Protests continue at Batley Grammar School over Prophet Mohammed caricature
Protestors have been outside the school for a second day
Protesters have gathered outside Batley Grammar School, for a second day on Friday, with police also at the scene.
West Yorkshire Police confirmed earlier that the school is closed and that pupils have been told to study remotely today.
It follows claims a member of staff had shown students a cartoon, widely reported as taken from the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, deemed offensive to the Islamic faith during a religious studies lesson this week.
On Thursday, the school “unequivocally” apologised for showing “totally inappropriate” material to children, and said a member of staff was suspended pending an investigation.
Our reporter Hannah Norbury is at Batley Grammar School:
Protestors say teachers breached position of trust in Batley
A protester speaking “on behalf of the Muslim community” read out a statement outside of the school on Friday, in which he said: “The teachers have breached the position of trust and failed 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’s taken them four days to merely suspend only one of the teachers involved.”
He called on the entire British Muslim community to review the materials being taught in their children’s schools.
One protester whose children attend the school, who only wanted to be identified as Mr Hussain, told the PA news agency: “What people are trying to convey here to the media and to the British public at large is we would not like any form of extremism, any extremist viewpoints, to be taught to children.”
He said the western world “is at a loss in understanding the reaction” from the Muslim community when the Prophet Mohammed is “insulted in any way, shape of form”.
He said: “A Muslim is required to stand up when Prophet Mohammed is insulted, and when all the prophets are insulted, including all the prophets of the Old Testament, including Jesus.”
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said the Department for Education (DfE) is working with the school and local council as it investigates the incident.
“What I can say is there has to be an appropriate balance – we have to ensure there is free speech, that teachers can teach uninhabited but that has to be done in a respectful and tolerant way and that’s a balance to be struck by teaching professionals and the schools concerned,” Mr Jenrick said.