It’s all very well for the head of Ofsted to claim that "his inspectors are quite clear about the need for faith schools to teach what have been termed 'British values,' (News, 7 February). But the fact remains, several media reports evidence the type of approach some inspectors have taken in certain schools when evaluating how they actively promote those values which must by Statutory Instrument afford parity of esteem for all nine protected characteristics in the Equality Act, especially sexual orientation.
When this inspection process includes the emotional traumatising of children by invasive questions about their appreciation of homosexual lifestyle and practice (clean contrary to legal rights of parents), then surely Ofsted operational policy actually offends the very British values they seek to enforce. Under Magna Carta – a clause (no 38 in the original) still on English Statute books – says a government official cannot upon his own unsupported complaint put anyone to his "law", without credible witnesses brought for this purposes.
Yet there is no appeal from Ofsted decisions; and indeed they are judge and jury in their own cause. Nemo iudex in causa sua is a principle of English Law - no one is a judge in their own cause, which derives form the whole idea of the authority of God as being separate from human will. A very British Judaeo-Christian value.
Yet Ofsted inspect, examine and adjudicate all in one go. As Mgr Ronald Knox.once put it, "Methods which give the police the advantage over the accused come in to vogue wherever you have strong central executive and that executive has got rattled." It therefore begs the question "Who inspects the inspectors?"
Edmund P Adamus, Director for marriage and family life, Diocese of Westminster
My late wife studied at the end of the war under nuns in Roehampton for her teaching certificate. She taught for half a dozen years, raised our family and then taught supply for several years. Our five children all went to universities in the Russell group and they regarded her as the best teacher they ever had. Our youngest was a Cambridge scholar and he thought the same. I don’t know who taught Mr Hunt nor where but he has a lot to learn!
John Steggles, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
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