An Islamic boys' school in east London has been downgraded by the UK's schools watchdog for failing to prepare its pupils for modern day life with many unable to even name the British prime minister.
Inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) downgraded Darul Hadis Latifiah in Bethnal Green after an inspection during which a book was found in the library which promoted "inappropriate" views on "how girls and women should behave".
The school, which caters for boys aged 11 to 20, said it was unaware of the book's presence and that it referred only to the belief women should "dress modestly", the Evening Standard reports.
The Ofsted report said pupils risked being "drawn into situations which put them at risk of harm" and that very few pupils were able to name "the new British Prime Minister or were aware of the first female presidential candidate in the elections taking place in the US" during the inspection last October.
Respect for women was taught, but was limited "to the roles of motherhood and families" during Islamic studies, the report noted.
Badrul Islam, secretary to the school's governing board, said, "We are currently preparing a formal complaint to Ofsted about the way the inspection was conducted and judgments were made.
"While we accept that there were a few failings affecting the judgement on safeguarding leading to an overall 'inadequate' judgement, we have good reason to believe that the report is excessively negative and does not give an accurate picture of our students' attainment and progress.
"Nor does it give an accurate picture of the overall quality of teaching, and of parents' views of the school's performance," he said.
Inspections of independently run schools in the UK make it incumbent upon them to make necessary changes or face closure.
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