Suleyman Folami and Muanet Daniah have been banned from teaching for at least two years after being convicted of running an illegal school in London. The couple was found guilty of running the unregistered Advance Education Centre in Brentford, which operated as a secondary school without the necessary permissions. Despite claiming innocence, they were handed suspended jail sentences in 2020 and have now been banned from teaching by a Teaching Regulation Agency panel. Ofsted inspectors discovered that the upper floor of the building housed a school with 66 pupils, setting homework, issuing detentions, and operating full-time, violating UK educational laws.
The illegal school was found to have several safeguarding risks, including inadequate supervision and unidentified adults on the premises, according to Ofsted. During a pre-registration inspection in 2019, inspectors identified several issues, such as a brief curriculum policy that did not match the intended age range of the pupils. The school’s management was described as ‘chaotic’ and was unable to properly handle the behavior of the students. Daniah, who remains an employee of Advance Education Charity, has been banned from teaching for the next five years due to actions that exploited her position of trust in the community. On the other hand, a former employer praised Folami as an excellent teacher with empathy and professionalism towards pupils, highlighting his contributions to vulnerable students.
The panel found that Folami’s actions, which led to a suspended jail term and created safeguarding risks, warranted a two-year ban from teaching, despite objections from a decision maker. Daniah, on the other hand, was banned for five years for exploiting her position of trust. The unlawful operation of the school and the failure to obtain the necessary permissions resulted in the convictions and subsequent teaching bans for both individuals. The school was found to have breached multiple independent school standards, including operating an unregistered institution for secondary pupils and failing to meet curriculum requirements for the intended age range of students.
The implications of running an illegal school extend beyond legal consequences to the potential harm caused to students due to the lack of proper supervision and adherence to educational standards. The couple’s actions not only violated UK laws but also endangered the well-being and education of the pupils attending the unregistered school. The ban from teaching serves as a consequence for their misconduct and serves to protect students from being exposed to similar risks in the future. The case highlights the importance of upholding educational standards and safeguarding measures to ensure the safety and well-being of all students in educational settings.
Despite efforts to appeal the initial suspended jail sentences, the couple’s convictions and subsequent ban from teaching underscore the severity of their actions in running an illegal school. The closure of the unregistered facility and the sanctions imposed on the individuals involved aim to prevent similar violations in the future and uphold the integrity of the education system. The impact of their misconduct on the students, staff, and community served by the illegal school cannot be understated, emphasizing the need for strict enforcement of educational regulations to protect the welfare of all learners. Moving forward, the repercussions of this case will likely serve as a deterrent to others considering bypassing legal requirements in the education sector.
