Kerala Govt Orders School to Close For Teaching Extremist Ideas to Students

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has ordered closure of a controversial private school in Ernakulam district for teaching objectionable and extremist content to children.

Peace International school allegedly taught their students extremist ideology, encouraging their students to give up their lives for Islam.

A case was registered against the school in 2016 for teaching objectionable content to the students and for promoting enmity among different groups on the basis of religion.

The school first came under the scanner after 21 people went missing from the state to reportedly Join ISIS. Abdul Rasheed, one of the 21 missing, is suspected to be the person who lead this group and co-ordinated them. He was working with the Peace International School and his wife Yasmin Ahmad, also missing, had earlier taught at the school.

For instance, in a second class textbook, students are asked if they are willing to give their life for Islam. M M Akbar, an Islamic preacher and MD of the school, is currently in Qatar. Police are trying to bring him back to the state.

The textbook was compiled by Burooj Realization, an Islamic education institution based in Mumbai, and police have arrested two publishers in the case. There are also allegations that the organisation has links with controversial preacher Zakir Naik.

The government’s move came after the police department and the education department submitted reports stating that objectionable content is being taught to students and that the school should be closed.

Apart from this, the investigation found that the school did not follow NCERT, CBSE OR SCERT textbooks.