Our schools are being targeted and exploited by evangelical groups as part of their missionary work.
We help parents challenge these attempts at indoctrination.
The legal obligation on all state schools to provide a daily act of worship provides a foot in the door to organisations with evangelistic intentions.
The ambiguity about the specific aims and purpose of religious education, and its low status in schools, also creates an ideal environment for evangelical groups to exploit.
- In our survey of 300 schools, only 16% of schools had a policy or policies concerning the partisan promotion of religious or political beliefs by external speakers.
- No policies of schools surveyed requires parents to be informed of visitors in advance, and no policies clearly prohibited religious proselytising.
Schools which invite external evangelists may have good intentions, but are often unaware of the group's agenda and unprepared to set appropriate boundaries. Our research has found only a minority of schools have adequate policies in place to ensure inappropriate evangelism doesn't take place. Meanwhile, parents are too often not informed of the visits of the backgrounds of evangelical groups.
External groups can make a valuable educational contribution to schools. With the right boundaries in place, staff and parents can be assured of no inappropriate proselytising.
Take action!
1. Challenge inappropriate evangelism in your school
Is evangelism happening at your school? Read our guide to challenging proselytisation.
2. Write to your MP
Ask your MP to support a code of practice so external groups can contribution to schools without evangelism or proselytization.
3. Share your story
Tell us why you support this campaign, and how you are personally affected by the issue. You can also let us know if you would like assistance with a particular issue.
4. Join us
Become a member of the National Secular Society today! Together, we can separate religion and state for greater freedom and fairness.
Latest updates
Scripture Union providing courses on abstinence in Isle of Man sex education classes
Posted: Tue, 9 May 2017 09:22
The Isle of Man's education minister has defended allowing an evangelical Christian group to deliver abstinence-based sex education to Year 10 pupils.
Scripture Union (SU), whose goal is to ensure "that all may come to a personal faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, grow in Christian maturity and become both committed church members", was one of the principal groups identified by the NSS in a 2013 report into evangelism in schools.
The group's new headquarters was recently opened by Prince Edward and SU has launched a campaign called 'The 95', aiming to reach the 95% of children and young people who do not attend church. National Director, Tim Hastie-Smith, called it the organisation's "number one priority".
Education Minister Graham Cregeen said "Scripture Union delivers LoveLife, but with no religion in it. He said classes promote "delaying sex and having stable relationships".
Dr Alexander Allinson, a GP who now serves in the Parliament of the Isle of Man, criticised the classes.
"If we are going to effectively combat domestic violence and sexual crime, early comprehensive sex and relationship education for boys and girls is essential.
"This is ideally provided by impartial and non-judgemental teachers," he said, "Rather than schools sometimes relying on faith-based groups based in that same local community, teaching a curriculum that may not be designed by educationalists."
Creegen accepted that students benefitted from having Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) delivered by staff they already know
The National Secular Society Campaigns Officer, Alastair Lichten, said: "External school visitors – including religious groups – can make a valuable contribution to schools. Unfortunately staff often lack the training, experience and support necessary to set appropriate boundaries to avoid inappropriate proselytisation."
Research from the NSS suggests that only around a third of schools have policies on the participation of external groups – and that less than one school in six have policies on the promotion of religious or political beliefs by external groups.
In February, parents raised concerns with the NSS about SU's Lovelife course, which was being run by a local Pentecostal pastor at a school.
Stuart Hartill, chairperson of Isle of Man Freethinkers, told the NSS "It concerns me that evangelical groups like Scripture Union continue to be involved with different scheme with the Isle of Man Education Department, despite problems with each one. For example, Open The Book (a scheme for church volunteers to go into schools and read bible stories to kids) was stopped when some of the kids went home with creationist literature. Until a year or two ago, SU's schemes were mainly confined to luncheon and after-school clubs, with kids attending voluntarily with the consent of parents. The move into teaching what should be secular lifestyle subjects, possibly paid for by the Education Department and seemingly set up by the Religious Education Advisory Committee, which by law has to be chaired by the island's bishop, is a worrying one."
Other schemes include Care For The Family – an organisation which promotes Christian parenting and is linked to the anti-LGBT equality evangelical group CARE – running parenting classes in FE colleges and schools on the island. Mr Hartill, claimed that the links were facilitated by a former Education Minister who is a member of and has family connections to CARE.
Mr Hartill said "The Freethinkers have been fighting such insider deals for over a decade. But it like every step forward is followed by two steps back."
Alastair Lichten said "Concerns over inappropriate evangelism in schools make up a significant part of our casework, but are rarely reported.
"In the last few weeks alone we have advised a number parents who have approached us with concerns. Most common examples include clerics holding proselytising assemblies, but problematic activities vary widely. From visits to a creationist zoo, to year 5 pupils being told how non-believers will burn in hell – illustrated by a pastor leading assembly setting wet (baptised) and dry paper (non-baptised) cups on fire."
The 2001 Isle of Man Education Act provides as in English & Welsh law for the parental right of withdraw from religious activities.
See also: Evangelism in schools – The role of external visitors in publicly funded education
Australian state bans external religious organisations from running prayer groups in schools
Posted: Thu, 7 Aug 2014 10:42
The Education Department of Victoria has issued a directive clarifying rules on the Australian state's requirements on secular education which could limit the activities of outside religious groups.
The State's 2006 Education and Training Reform Act requires that "education in government schools must be secular and must not promote any particular religious practice, denomination or sect". This allows religious education to be delivered from a general perspective. An exception is allowed for "Special Religious Instruction" (SRI) - provided by churches and other religious groups from a confessional perspective – where attendance is opt-in at the request of the parents.
Access Ministries accredits instructors to deliver SRI in Christianity in Victorian schools and is a key provider itself. A report recently found that the organisation breached its guidelines by handing out a so-called "Biblezine" containing homophobic material.
Concerns prompted Victorian Education Department to issue a directive saying "SRI cannot and does not take the form of prayer groups, youth groups, clubs, information sessions, or workshops…. Principals must not permit material, whether associated with SRI or not, to be distributed or displayed at a Government school if that material has the effect of promoting any particular religious practice, denomination or sect. This includes the distribution of religious texts (eg bibles) by any person or organisation whether accredited SRI providers or not."
The directive makes clear that students praying at lunchtime or engaging in other religious activities does not count as SRI, as it does not contain an element of "instruction". A government spokesperson said the directive only affected religious activities that were run by unaccredited teachers or external groups.
Dan Flynn, the director of the Australian Christian Lobby in Victoria, said the guidelines appeared to prohibit all religious expression in schools.
However, the Fairness in Religions in Schools (FIRIS) campaign group rejected the claim that payer had been banned; "What has been "banned" is the practice of opening schools to "youth pastors" who want to convert children to their religion in our schools", said a spokesperson.
The last year has seen several clashes over church state separation in Australian education at both the federal and state level. In the last budget Prime Minister Tony Abbott attracted widespread criticism for allocating $226 million for school chaplaincy services while cutting spending in other areas and restricting the use of federal funds for secular welfare officers. The Australian High Court later blocked the implementation of the programme.
The National Secular Society's own research into evangelism in schools in the UK can be found here.
More information
Evangelism In State Schools report (PDF, 493 Kb)Read our 2013 report on the activities of evangelical organisations in state schools.
