divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/47153?ns=guardianpageName=World+news%3A+School+accused+of+Mumbai+terror+role+opens+its+doorsch=World+newsc3=The+Guardianc4=Mumbai+terror+attacks+%28News%29%2CIndia+%28News%29%2CPakistan+%28News%29%2CTerrorism+-+international%2CWorld+newsc5=Not+commercially+usefulc6=Saeed+Shahc7=2008_12_05c8=1129193c9=articlec10=GUc11=World+newsc12=Mumbai+terror+attacksc13=c14=h2=GU%2FWorld+news%2FMumbai+terror+attacks" width="1" height="1" //divpAt first sight, they could be the grounds of an English public school, with neatly trimmed lawns and earnest young pupils walking between classes. But this is the site that India believes is the headquarters of the terrorist group responsible for last week's Mumbai attacks. /ppBoarding houses provide spartan accommodation, and orderly rows of trees line the sprawling site, just outside the eastern city of Lahore. Smartly turned-out pupils perform science experiments in the classrooms, peering into microscopes and connecting electric circuits. There is a farm, a swimming pool and a hospital. /ppIndia, and some western terrorism experts, believe this is the headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a banned Islamist group suspected of carrying out last week's Mumbai attacks. But according to the organisers of a tour of the site yesterday, it is simply the educational and charitable arm of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, an Islamic group that is legal in Pakistan but declared a terrorist organisation by the US./ppFollowing Pakistan's ban on Lashkar-e-Taiba in 2002, it is widely believed to have morphed into Jamaat-ud-Dawa, though the two claim to have no link./ppThe campus, set in countryside at Muridke, an hour's drive from Lahore, is the place that India would be likely to target if it took retaliatory military action over the Mumbai attacks. /pp"This is a residential and educational complex," said Abdullah Muntazir, Jamaat-ud-Dawa's spokesman, taking journalists around the Muridke site yesterday in a media charm offensive launched by the group. "You can see for yourself. This is all Indian propaganda."/pp"Jamaat-ud-Dawa speaks up very loudly against Indian conspiracies; we let the public know that India is the real enemy. That's why they always point at us."/ppThe carefully orchestrated visit took foreign and local journalists around the beautifully equipped school and hospital. The school follows the national curriculum, the headteacher, Rashid Mehnaz, said, taking pupils from around the country. The poor were given financial help, with richer pupils paying fees. Mehnaz condemned violence, saying suicide attacks were "absolutely wrong - it is forbidden in Islam"./ppA press conference and sumptuous lunch was laid on for journalists. However, the madrasa, mosque, and other facilities remained out of bounds, and once the official tour was over the media were no longer welcome. Although the group had said anyone was welcome to look around the site at any time, the Guardian's attempt to take up this offer after the tour was met with a heavy-handed response: burly young men arrived on motorcycles and circled, demanding that we leave. /ppGiven the attention that has suddenly been focused on Lashkar-e-Taiba, and on to the complex at Muridke, the invitation to visit may have been arranged after a prod from the Pakistani authorities. /ppCertainly there were plain-clothed officials present, who said they were members of "special branch" - often a euphemism for the Pakistan's ISI intelligence agency. They wanted to provide an armed escort back to Lahore, but why intelligence agents were there - and why an escort might be necessary - was unclear. Muridke is not in a dangerous part of Pakistan, and the offer was declined. /ppIt has long been said that the ISI has secretly backed Lashkar-e-Taiba, though the agency always rejects the accusation./pp"The Indian media is creating a hype, but I don't think they'll bomb us," said Muntazir. "If they did, it would be up to the government of Pakistan and the armed forces to deal with it."/ppHe said Jamaat-ud-Dawa was a peaceful group, but it had "supported" Lashkar-e-Taiba until that organisation was banned. He said that "morally", they still backed those who were fighting Indian rule in Kashmir. Lashkar-e-Taiba is the leading such group. "The [Kashmiri] freedom fighters are doing their job very well. Their cause is just," said Muntazir. "But I can't speak on behalf of Lashkar-e-Taiba."/pdiv style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"ullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/mumbai-terror-attacks"Mumbai terror attacks/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/india"India/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/pakistan"Pakistan/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/terrorism"Global terrorism/a/li/ul/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~at/Zq_LTmdsuXM6b-VPE7JkoUpXN4Y/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~at/Zq_LTmdsuXM6b-VPE7JkoUpXN4Y/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/86235?ns=guardianpageName=Education%3A+Faith+schools+%27should+not+select+on+religion%27ch=Educationc3=The+Guardianc4=Faith+schools%2CSchool+admissions%2CEducation%2CUK+newsc5=Not+commercially+useful%2CEducation+Weekly+Education%2CSchools+Educationc6=Anthea+Lipsettc7=2008_12_05c8=1129206c9=articlec10=GUc11=Educationc12=Faith+schoolsc13=c14=h2=GU%2FEducation%2FFaith+schools" width="1" height="1" //divpReligious schools should be stripped of their right to select pupils according to faith or lose their state funding, according to a two-year study into church and other faith-based state schools./ppThe Runnymede Trust charity concludes that many faith schools' admission procedures are too selective./ppThe sector educates a "disproportionately small" number of children from the poorest backgrounds, it says./ppThe trust, founded to promote social justice, says this contradicts the historical mission of faith schools to challenge poverty and inequality and serve the most disadvantaged in society. "Currently the intake of faith schools is wealthier and higher achieving on entry to secondary school than average," the report states./pp"If faith schools become a means of preserving privilege rather than challenging injustice, then this undermines their espoused vision of 'lived faith'."/ppThe report into the way faith schools operate in England, based on interviews with more than 1,000 people over the past two years, calls for faith schools to be forced to return to their original mission to education the poor. Religious education, covering all religions, should become part of the national curriculum, it argues. It suggests faith schools should become open to all either by "setting quotas, ballot selection or emphasising catchment areas over faith affiliation"./ppThe proposals, launched at a conference yesterday, will reopen the debate over the role of faith schools and whether they are too selective./ppThe government yesterday published a new admissions code designed to prevent covert selection after the chief schools adjudicator last month reported that one in five faith schools had asked improper questions on application forms, including about parents' jobs. /ppThe proposals make clear that schools cannot interview pupils or ask parents for financial contributions. But schools will be able to require parents applying for a place to ask their children to "respect" the school's ethos./ppUnder the code authorities must consult with parents and the community to make sure their arrangements meet local needs. They will also have to improve the information parents receive on the admissions process. A new appeals code will allow MPs and councillors to support parents at admission appeals hearings. /ppThe schools secretary, Ed Balls, said: "It is my intention that the measures set out in this revised code will ensure parents are listened to and their views shape school policies, he said./ppRob Berkeley, the trust's deputy director and author of the report, said: "It's time for a shift so that schools that are funded by taxpayers are responsive and reflect the needs of all pupils and parents, not just those of a particular religion."/pdiv style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"ullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/faithschools"Faith schools/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/schooladmissions"School admissions/a/li/ul/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~at/wy8dHWRFor3nkztuQ9ZbsG26DEQ/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~at/wy8dHWRFor3nkztuQ9ZbsG26DEQ/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/33509?ns=guardianpageName=Education%3A+Faith+schools+urged+to+end+selection+on+basis+of+religionch=Educationc3=guardian.co.ukc4=Faith+schools%2CSecondary+schools%2CPrimary+schools%2CSchools%2CReligion+%28News%29%2CUK+newsc5=Not+commercially+useful%2CSchools+Educationc6=Donald+MacLeodc7=2008_12_04c8=1128668c9=articlec10=GUc11=Educationc12=Faith+schoolsc13=c14=h2=GU%2FEducation%2FFaith+schools" width="1" height="1" //divpFaith schools should stop selecting pupils on the basis of their religious background in order to promote social cohesion, the Runnymede Trust, a charity set up to promote a multi-ethnic Britan, said today. /ppA report, Right to Divide? Faith Schools and Community Cohesion, examines how faith schools operate and is based on consultations with more than 1,000 people over the last two years./ppThe trust's proposals, launched at a conference attended by the education minister Sarah McCarthy-Fry, will reopen the fierce arguments provoked by the government's failed attempts two years ago to impose quotas of pupils from other religions on faith schools. /ppAlan Johnson, then education secretary, was forced to back down after strong protests from the Catholic and Anglican churches in favour of a voluntary code. br / br /The Runnymede Trust has identified six key recommendations, which the report's authors say will clarify the role of faith schools within England's education system./ppIt argues that the schools should end selection on the basis of faith, as they should be "for the benefit of all in society rather than just some"./ppIt says: "If faith schools are convinced of their relevance for society, that should apply equally for all children./pp"With state funding comes an obligation to be relevant and open to all citizens."/ppThe report calls for pupils to be given a greater say in how they are educated, and claims there is little discussion about children's voices in the faith schools debate./ppIt says faith schools should address concerns that they educate a disproportionately small number of children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds./ppAnd it argues that faith schools should value all young people, regardless of religion, while religion should be more highly valued in non-denominational schools. /ppThe report also says religious education should be a part of the core national curriculum./ppIt concludes that faith schools "should remain a significant and important part of our education system, offering diversity in the schooling system as a means of improving standards, offering choice to parents, and developing effective responses to local, national and global challenges in education."/ppFigures put forward in the report show that there are more than 4,600 Church of England primary and secondary schools in England, over 2,000 Roman Catholic schools, 26 Methodist primary schools, 88 schools of other Christian denominations, 27 Jewish schools, seven Muslim schools, two Sikh schools, and two of other denominations./ppThere are more than 11,100 state primary schools of no religious character, and 2,756 secondary schools./ppThe Accord coalition, which argues faith schools should not be able to discriminate against pupils or staff on grounds of religion, welcomed the report./ppAccord chairman, Rabbi Jonathan Romain, said: "We are witnessing a major change in attitude towards faith schools: previously flavour of the month, they are now being seriously questioned - both in the way they operate and whether they serve the public good. /pp"It is a debate that is long overdue and may save much heartache later."/pdiv style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"ullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/faithschools"Faith schools/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/secondaryschools"Secondary schools/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/primaryschools"Primary schools/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/schools"Schools/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/religion"Religion/a/li/ul/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a pa href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~at/nMcGeWus2yd03JNwzsSFvuYQ8As/a"img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~at/nMcGeWus2yd03JNwzsSFvuYQ8As/i" border="0" ismap="true"/img/a/p

A teacher who seemed to be “acting or pretending” to do her job, and pulled faces at her pupils from behind their headmistress, has become the first person to be struck off the Scottish teaching register for incompetence.

Pupils find it easy to bypass school net controls