'Trojan Horse': Government criticises education select committee

The government has claimed MPs risked undermining efforts to tackle extremism by downplaying the seriousness of the "Trojan Horse" events in Birmingham.

The Department for Education was responding to the education select committee's report on an alleged school takeover plot led by a conservative group of Muslims.

Published in March, the report found only one incident of extremism.

It also said there was no evidence of a plot to take over the city's schools.

The Department for Education said: "This downplays the seriousness of events in Birmingham and risks undermining our efforts to tackle extremism.

"It is important to state clearly just how damaging these were to the young people in the care of those schools."

Several inquiries and investigations were launched after an anonymous letter surfaced last March containing instructions for installing sympathetic school governors.

It has since been regarded as a hoax in some quarters, and claims made about a number of schools named in the letter have been deemed groundless.

However, speaking in June 2014, Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw said a "culture of fear and intimidation" had taken grip of some of the schools and there was evidence of an attempt to "impose and promote a narrow faith-based ideology" in secular schools.

In all, 21 schools were investigated by Ofsted and five were put into special measures last year.

At the time, criticism was broadly directed at the leadership of the schools, as well as teaching standards in some cases.

Birmingham City Council has introduced new rules for appointing governors in the wake of the controversy.