MINISTERS were accused of “amplifying divisions” today after criticising protests outside a school in Batley where a teacher had shown pupils a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed. 

A member of staff at Batley Grammar, near Bradford, has been suspended pending an investigation, with the school “unequivocally” apologising for showing “totally inappropriate” material to children. It said the teacher had sincerely apologised for the incident.

Protesters gathered outside the school for a second day today, accusing the school of not “taking the issue seriously” because of a four-day delay in the teacher’s suspension. The school conducted all learning remotely for a second day.

It comes in response to claims that during a religious studies class pupils were shown a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed, reportedly from the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. 

The Department for Education said the protests are “completely unacceptable.” 

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick added today that scenes of protest outside the school gates were “not right,” adding that unconfirmed reports that a teacher is in hiding were “very disturbing.” 

He told Sky News that there needs to be an “appropriate balance” to ensure free speech, “but that has to be done in a respectful and tolerant way.”

The National Secular Society has also criticised the protests, arguing that “teachers must have a reasonable degree of freedom to explore sensitive subjects.”

But anti-racism groups accused ministers of stoking divisions. 

Manchester-based Ramadhan Foundation chief executive Mohammed Shafiq said: “It is alarming that the Department for Education chose to amplify those divisions by attacking the parents and pupils rather than looking [at] how we can come together to have a respectful discussion and seek an end to this issue.”

Stand up to Racism co-convenor Weyman Bennett told the Morning Star: “I think we should show solidarity to people facing Islamophobia and not allow the government the right to try and exploit divisions. 

“This is not about free speech. This is about building an equal environment without discrimination.”

The Muslim Council of Great Britain said that the grammar school was right to acknowledge that the material was “inappropriate” as it is “universally understood to be highly offensive to Muslims.”

The representative body said that the case “illustrates the importance of close engagement between schools [and] parents regarding issues not on the national curriculum.”