The Department for Education (DfE) has warned that “it is never acceptable to threaten or intimidate teachers” and has called for parent protests outside a secondary school in West Yorkshire to be “brought to an end”.
The DfE statement was issued on Thursday evening after pictures circulating on social media showed dozens of people standing outside Batley Grammar School, West Yorkshire, partially blocking the road.
The protesters had gathered following claims that a member of staff had shown students a cartoon caricature of the Prophet Mohammed during a religious studies lesson that is deemed offensive to the Islamic faith.
“It is never acceptable to to threaten or intimidate teachers,” a DfE spokesperson said.
It continued: “We encourage dialogue between parents and schools when issues emerge.
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“However, the nature of protest we have seen, including issuing threats and in violation of coronavirus restrictions, are completely unacceptable and must be brought to an end.
“Schools are free to include a full range of issues, ideas and materials in their curriculum, including where they are challenging or controversial, subject to their obligations to ensure political balance.
“They must balance this with the need to promote respect and tolerance between people of different faiths and beliefs, including in deciding which materials to use in the classroom.”
The school has “unequivocally” apologised for showing “totally inappropriate” material to children and said a member of staff has been suspended pending an investigation.
West Yorkshire Police said they were called to the protest at around 7.30am on Thursday.
A police spokesman said the school road had been closed for a short time, no arrests were made and no fines were issued.
In a statement, Batley Grammar School headteacher Gary Kibble said: “The school unequivocally apologises for using a totally inappropriate resource in a recent religious studies lesson.
“The member of staff has also given their most sincere apologies.
“We have immediately withdrawn teaching on this part of the course and we are reviewing how we go forward with the support of all the communities represented in our school.
“It is important for children to learn about faiths and beliefs, but this must be done in a sensitive way.
“The member of staff has been suspended pending an independent formal investigation.”
In a letter addressed to Mr Kibble and shared online, Mohammad Sajad Hussain, founder of Batley-based charity Purpose Of Life, said he was “deeply hurt” by the “insulting caricatures of our beloved Prophet Mohammed”.
He said the charity is unwilling to work with or promote the school until the teacher is “permanently removed”.
Qari Asim, a senior imam at the Makkah Mosque in Leeds, said: “I sympathise with the parents and pupils because sadly, this is not the first time we have seen offensive images of Prophet Mohammed being used.
“People have a right to express their concerns and hurt but protests can’t always achieve what can be achieved through constructive dialogue. Fair investigation by the school, in consultation with the parents, should be allowed to take place.
“We do not want to fan the flames of Islamophobia and provoke hatred or division.”
However, the National Secular Society branded the protest an “attempt to impose an Islamic blasphemy taboo on a school”.
Chief executive Stephen Evans said: “Teachers must have a reasonable degree of freedom to explore sensitive subjects and enable students to think critically about them.
“And the school’s weak response will fuel a climate of censorship, which is brought on by attempts to force society as a whole to accommodate unreasonable and reactionary religious views.”
