Madrassas in England will face regulation inspection under government plans published on Thursday.
In October, Prime Minister David Cameron said some children were “having their heads filled with poison and their hearts filled with hate” in these Muslim supplementary schools.
Muslim organisations accept regulation is needed to protect children’s welfare but maintain concerns about radicalisation are misplaced.
The UK contains about 2,000 madrassas.
Under the plans, any out-of-school setting providing intensive education would be required to register and be open to inspection.
This is likely to cover almost all madrassas, as the proposals suggest six to eight hours a week as the threshold for regulation.
The plans suggest there would be a range of prohibited activities that could prompt intervention: from appointing unsuitable staff to failure to ensure the safety of children.
Corporal punishment would be banned, along with teaching that “promotes extreme views” or is deemed incompatible with fundamental British values.
