In March 2025, the news spread over the network that Wahhabite became the head of the Department for Education standards. We checked the reliability of such publications.

Information on the appointment of a new head of the Office according to British Education standards dispersed in Russian -speaking social networks on March 14. This position was allegedly taken by Hamid Patel, who is called mufti in some sources, in others - Wahhabis, and thirdly they simply pay attention to his Muslim religion. It is clarified that the department, which is now headed by Patel, is engaged in the verification of schools for compliance with British values. The relevant posts are accompanied by either a portrait of a patel, or a screenshot of the news, which refers to its appointment.

TEELGRAM channels told about this Zergulio (2 million views at the time of writing this analysis), "Pozdnyakov 3.0"(406 000),"Dmitry Nicotin"(348 000),"Zlaya Prof"(247,000),"Dmitry Vasilet"(135 000),"Sheikh Tamir"(128 000),"The first folk | News"(105,000) and others.

Judging by the screenshots that some bloggers cite, they are talking about their posts about OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills) - a government organization that inspects various educational institutions in the UK, from schools and kindergartens to advanced training and additional education programs. According to estimates BBC British parents often rely on OFSTED ratings when choosing an educational institution for their child. The organization also advises the government on education, but, unlike Ministry of Education (Department for education) is almost not engaged in regulation. It is the ministry that claims National curriculum For public schools, determines educational standards and controls the implementation of changes.

During their inspections, representatives of OFSTED, among other things, are really CheckAs the school develops their understanding of the main British values among students: democracy, freedom of personality, the rule of law, mutual respect and tolerance. This, as follows from the "Guide to check the schools", can be facilitated by both the curriculum and class hours, discussions, trips or reading additional literature.

The head of OFSTED is traditionally considered the chief education inspector, who is appointed by the king. Since 2024, this position occupies Martin Oliver, his powers expire in five years. The organization also has a managing council whose members (in addition to the chief inspector) are appointed by the Minister of Education. Council members Obligated Recommend the main areas of work to the chief inspector and ensure the effective performance of its functions.

March 11 OFSTED announcedthat and. O. Hamid Patel will become the chairman of the Council on April 1. In this position, he will replace Christine Ryan, who occupied her for five years, but in November 2024 announced About your ambulance. In a press release on the appointment of a patel, he emphasizes that he will be the interim head of the council until Ryan finds a replacement. At the same time, he will work only two days a week for no more than five months-it is unlikely that such short-term employment will bring any significant changes to the British education system.

A press release on the appointment of a patel, temporary chairman of the Council of OFSTED. Source: Screenshot gov.uk

Many resources that spoke about the appointment of a patel not only missed the fact that he will lead the OFSTED for only five months, but also described it in different ways. Some defined it as Mufti, others - how Muslim with migration roots, others - how Wahhabita or radical Islamist. Judging by information Of the open sources, Patel is a descendant of migrants from India, but was born and raised already in the UK. Since 2010 he Heads Star Academies School of Schools, where Enter Dozens of educational institutions, including several Islamic schools and one Christian. In 2015, for merits in the field of education Patel He was awarded Order of the British Empire, and in 2021 - knightly title. On the Council of OFSTED he Prevent Since 2019. On official sites and on the personal pages of the patel in social networks The title of Sir Mufti is used, but there are no confirmations that he adheres to Wahhabism or other fundamentalist movements in Islam, in open sources.

Despite the numerous merits of Patel in the field of education, his temporary appointment to a new position caused Criticism Part of the British society. First of all, she relied on his decisions while working as a high school director for girls Tauheedul Islam in Blackburn. For example, it was under the Patel that this educational institution became one of the first in the country where students were called to wear a hijab outside of school. It is reported that they were also prescribed to read the Qur'an at least once a week and forbidden to bring stationery with non-mock images (for example, photos of pop stars) to school. In 2010 school criticized For the visit of Sheikh Abdula Rahman al-Sudais, known for anti-Semitic statements (Patel explained that he had only 20 minutes in an educational institution, and the students wanted to see him because of the popularity on YouTube).

Information that now there will be a patel to oversee the British education, initially spread in the English -language segment of the social network X, where Similar posts We scored millions of views. In French about this told And the deputy of the European Parliament Francois-Ksavier Bellamy. According to him, Patel is part of the Islamist project to seize European institutions.

In Runet, such news is the first Published “SVTV News - Libertarian Media” on March 14 at 05:04 Moscow time, correctly indicating that Patel would take his position temporarily. A few hours later, pro -Russian blogger Sergei Kolyasnikov (Zergulio) Placed In its Telegram channel, a post where this details were gone. Then only such publications began to spread, periodically distinguished by new details about Patel's belonging to radical Islam Or even about its first decisions On the post of head of OFSTED, although he took office only two and a half weeks later.

Thus, Hamid Patel from April 1 really headed the Council of OFSTED, but he was appointed temporarily (for five months) until the organization finds a new chairman. In many viral posts, the role of OFSTED is also incorrectly described - it does not approve the curricula (they are being developed by the Ministry of Education), but inspects educational institutions and, based on its observations, draws up public ratings and advises the government. Inspectors also check how effective a particular educational institution develops among students an understanding of the main British values, but this is far from the only and not the main criterion for verification.

Photo on the cover: Jim Osley Via Wikimedia Commons