Letter to MP re faith schools

30 June 2006
Mr Ben Bradshaw, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA

Dear Mr Bradshaw,

Thank you for your reply to my previous letter re faith schools enclosing the Minister of State for schools' response. Unfortunately this does not allay my concerns about discrimination in pupil admissions and staff employment inherent in the faith schools programme.

Jim Knight wrote "all maintained schools, including faith schools, are subject to the National Curriculum and Admissions Code of Practice", but as he admits the "School Admissions Code of Practice allows faith schools to give priority for admission to children on the basis of religious affiliation".

A specific example which drew my attention was the 2004 proposal by Kitto Community College in Plymouth to change its category and become a Church of England Voluntary Aided School. This proposal collapsed because, as the School Organisation Committee for Plymouth noted, "to gain a religious character, a school has first to close and then re-open. It is only the LEA that can close a community school".

Some of the anticipated consequences of this change of status were that:

1. The Church of England would control the governing body through a majority of foundation governors.
2. 50% of places [later modified to 25% following a consultation exercise.] would be reserved for children of the Christian faith (although a number of these places would be offered to students of other faiths).
3. The governing body could legally take into account the religious nature of the school in appointing new teaching staff.

Any non-Christian would feel very out of place in such an establishment. Is it fair to pupils of other faiths or none that their local publicly funded school [Except for 10% of capital costs in the case of a Voluntary Aided School school] should be denied them? Is it fair to restrict the employment opportunities of teachers, whose salaries are entirely paid from public funds, through religious discrimination?

It is difficult to inculcate a tolerance and respect for other religions, beliefs and cultures if children are in segregated schools and do not meet those from other backgrounds in their everyday activities. Many organisations have argued that increasing the number of faith schools will result in increased racial segregation. The NUT conference this year resolved "that the Government's policy of increasing numbers of faith schools could hinder integration and the creation of a fully comprehensive system and increase, rather than reduce, barriers to achieving an inclusive society." Both the British Humanists Association and the National Secular Society have campaigned continuously against faith schools. The policy was criticised in the BBC programme A Class Apart broadcast on Radio 4 at 11am on Monday 26 June. Presenter Sarfraz Manzoor contrasted the situation in Northern Ireland, where the government are encouraging integrated schools, with the encouragement of ever more faith schools in England.

The Commission for Racial Equality commented "Given the risk of increasing segregation, that this is accepted by the Government in the REIA and in the climate we have outlined above, we are concerned that the Government does not seem to see this as an issue that needs to be addressed".

Morality develops from social interaction with each other; our need to live together in a coherent society. It is dangerous to teach that morality is based on religion – what about the many with no religious belief? Only 7.4% of adults in England go to church on an average Sunday [Religious Trends, Christian Research 2002–2003] and only 20% felt their religious beliefs to be an important part of their sense of self-identity [2001 Home Office Citizenship Survey]. Religion is a matter for personal choice; education should be secular and inclusive; faith schools should not be supported by the state.

Yours sincerely
Gordon …