LONDON: A UK school at the center of a row after pupils were shown a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad in class will be subject to an independent investigation.
An unnamed teacher was suspended after angry parents protested outside Batley Grammar School in West Yorkshire on March 22, following allegations that an insensitive image had been used as part of a religious education class.
The school’s head teacher Gary Kibble apologized to the local Muslim community, saying the suspended teacher had also done so.
Batley Multi Academy Trust, which is in charge of Batley Grammar School, said it is launching a probe to review the “offensive” material used in the class.
It added that the school’s religious studies curriculum as a whole will also be assessed by the independent panel, set to begin work on April 12.
The incident drew national attention after parents gathered outside the school for two days demanding the teacher’s resignation, leading to police being called and sparking a fierce debate on free speech and religious tolerance in the UK.
A group representing the parents called for “calm and space for a transparent investigation” into the incident.
