jordan peterson
Britain's 'strictest headmistress' has slammed critics who she says reported her to police for a hate crime for inviting a controversial Canadian professor to visit her award-winning school.

Katharine Birbalsingh, whose Michaela Community School in north London recently saw 80 per cent of its students achieve 4+ (C) or more in their GCSEs despite being non-selective, invited Jordan Peterson to see her pupils on Friday.

After she tweeted about the visit, the respected teacher - who is a British government's social mobility tsar - went on to receive a wave of abuse and calls for her to be sacked.

Ms Birbalsingh shared two photos of Peterson at her school last week, tweeting: 'Look who is at Michaela today!' In another post, she said the controversial media personality was 'moved' and 'tears fell' as pupils wished him a good morning.

Following a backlash, Ms Birbalsingh wrote this weekend: 'I tweeted photos of Jordan Peterson's visit to Michaela. Like this one. They reported me to the police for hate crime. Many pleas to Ofsted for an immediate inspection.

'Cries of safeguarding concerns. Demands for my removal as Head. But they deny cancel culture exists.'
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Peterson, a psychologist and professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, is a controversial figure in left-wing circles due to his conservative views on free speech, gender identification and climate change.

During his rise to fame, Peterson has described himself as a 'professor against political correctness'. The 60-year-old has been particularly outspoken about masculinity and has previously stated that the masculine spirit is 'under assault'.

Man Utd star Cristiano Ronaldo received a backlash on Twitter two weeks ago when he shared a photo of him with Peterson and referred to the academic as 'my friend'.
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© Instagram
Earlier this year, Peterson was suspended from Twitter after a tweet about transgender Hollywood actor Elliot Page which 'mis-gendered' the star by calling him 'her' and used his birth name, Ellen.

'Remember when pride was a sin? And Ellen Page just had her breasts removed by a criminal physician,' Peterson wrote.

Today, the Met Police said it had 'no knowledge' of any crime reports concerning Ms Birbalsingh.

The headmistress, who landed a role as the Government's social mobility tsar in 2021, has said tough love is the key to high achievement.

After a follower recently asked for tips for a young teacher on how to take control of a classroom, she replied with 'a little advice'.

She wrote: '1. Mean what you say, say what you mean: always follow through.

'2. Show them you love them, smile and laugh WITH them.

'3. Sweat the small stuff, but warn before: 'you will get a detention if you rock on your chair'

'4. Always go to bed before 10pm.'

After the school published its latest GCSE results, the head clarified her stance on strictness, saying: ''An example of the mistake we make in thinking "strict and being in authority" is the same as "authoritarianism".

'Strict is immersed in love with high standards, not allowing kids to let themselves down.

'The adult must be in a position of authority to lead.

'Otherwise, chaos.'

Ms Birbalsingh has been influential in Tory circles since winning a standing ovation at the Conservative Party conference after she delivered a damning indictment of 'utterly chaotic' state schools in 2010.

The former Marxist turned conservative was the surprise star when she laid bare an education system in which children were 'lost in a sea of bureaucracy'. She won a CBE in 2020.

However, her outspokenness cost her her job as a deputy head teacher at the time. She went on to found the Michaela Community School in 2014.

MailOnline has contacted her for comment.