Official: A culture of fear in UK schools

(Vatican Radio) Government inspectors say there is a ``culture of fear and intimidation'' at several British schools investigated over allegations of a plot to run them along strict Islamic lines.

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The Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) said Monday that five of 21 schools it inspected in the English city of Birmingham failed allowed extremism to affect students.

The inspections were spurred by an anonymous letter alleging a plot called ``Operation Trojan Horse'' by extremist Muslims to infiltrate the city’s schools.

"In the most serious cases a culture of fear and intimidation has taken grip since the schools were last inspected," said Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw.

"A number of head teachers reported that here has been an organised campaign to target certain schools in Birmingham in order to impose a narrow faith-based ideology and alter the school's character and ethos,” he said.