Faith schools undermine equality, choice and social cohesion.
Let's build an inclusive education system today, to ensure an inclusive society tomorrow.
Our education system should be open and welcoming to all. That's why we want publicly funded faith schools phased out and an end to religiously selective school admissions.
Around a third of publicly funded schools in England and Wales are faith schools – schools with a religious character. Scottish and Northern Irish schools are still divided along sectarian lines.
Separating children according to religion is divisive and leads to religious, ethnic and socio-economic segregation.
To make matters worse, many faith schools can discriminate against pupils and teachers who do not share the religion of the school.
Parents are entitled to raise their children within a faith tradition, but they are not entitled to enlist the help of the state to do so. The state should not allow the schools it funds to inculcate children into a particular religion.
Faith schools seriously limit choice for parents who do not want a religious education for their children, or do not share the faith of the local school. Our research has found that 18,000 families were assigned faith schools against their wishes in England in 2017 alone.
Despite a consistent and dramatic decline in church attendance, and a growing majority of non-religious citizens, successive governments have paved the way for ever greater religious involvement in education, often to the detriment of inclusive community schools.
A secular approach to education would ensure publicly funded schools are equally welcoming to all children, regardless of their backgrounds.
Take action!
1. Write to your MP
Please call on your MP to support a secular, inclusive education system for all.
2. 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.
3. 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
Church to gain influence over nine secular schools in Northumberland
Posted: Wed, 31 May 2017 16:55
Concerns have been raised over plans for nine community schools in Northumberland to join with one Church of England faith school to form the new Tynedale Community Learning Trust – a mixed multi academy trust (MAT) that will have a majority of church appointed members.
Concerns have been raised over the Church's role in appointing members and directors of the Trust.
Under the proposals, the Church will appoint three out of five members of the trust (one of which will be in consultation with the schools), who will then appoint a majority of the 11 directors of the MAT, including one 'Church Director'. With the exception of the 'Church Director', the members will be required to appoint members on the basis of their skills, rather than applying a religious test.
An ex-parent governor at one of the schools involved, who resigned over the plans told the NSS: "This is nothing short of a church takeover of nine non-church schools, and any parents wishing to guard against church influence in their children's education should be rightly worried. In addition, the RSC has confirmed that the option chosen in this case represents a deviation from current government policy for mixed MATs. The safeguards for non-church schools with this arrangement are woefully inadequate."
According to letters to parents, the funding agreement will stipulate that the community school ethos of the schools should be protected by the trustees and local governing bodies of the community schools.
Alastair Lichten, NSS campaigns officer, said "Concerns about academisation and through it religious takeovers of community schools, form a significant part of our casework. Despite the reassuring noises of the consultation documents, parents and governors are right to raise concerns. If trustees are to be appointed on the basis of their skills, rather than their faith – as all trustees of state schools should be – then what possible justification is there for the Church appointing three out of the five people who will decide on these appointments?
"We see no reason or justification for a 'Church director' – even if only one of eleven, the same proportion of foundation governors at the faith school involved - to be appointed to make decisions on the governance of nine community schools.
"Assurances over protecting the community ethos of schools are welcome, but we have seen them before and it is clear that there are a range of soft options for the Church to promote – as is their stated intention – their ethos in community schools which they have a role in running. There is no clear inspection standard or oversight in protecting a community school ethos. Ultimately the extent to which these nine schools truly remain secular is up to the efforts of the parents and staff."
Describing the plans as "huge" and "mammoth", the Hexham Courant reported that "talks between heads and governors are at a very advanced stage".
The schools are running a consultation process which will close at 5pm on Wednesday 7th July 2017. The basic requirements for a public body carrying out a consultation are:
- Consultation must be at a time when proposals are at a formative stage.
- The proposer must give sufficient reasons for its proposals to allow consultees to understand them and respond to them properly.
- Consulters must give sufficient time for responses to be made and considered.
- Responses must be conscientiously taken into account in finalising the decision.
If you have concerns about religious organisations taking over your school, please contact enquiries@secularism.org.uk
See also: Fear over new schools trust - Hexham Courant | Church of England sidesteps government rules over multi-academy trust control - Schools Week
New poll finds huge opposition to Government’s plans for more discriminatory faith schools
Posted: Tue, 30 May 2017 14:16
Government plans to allow new faith schools to discriminate on religious grounds by selecting all of their pupils on the basis of faith have attracted mass public opposition, a poll has found.
A Populus survey commissioned by the Accord Coalition found that just 20% of the public say that "New state funded faith schools should be allowed to select up to 100% of their pupils on the basis of faith."
Just 21% of Anglicans support the new policy, but 43% of Muslims and 55% of Jews support it. Sample sizes for minority faiths are small, however.
The policy was introduced with particular regard to Catholic Schools, but just one-in-three Catholics think taxpayer-funded schools should be able to discriminate in all of their admissions.
Unsurprisingly, jut 15% of 'nones' support the change.
Respondents were asked whether they supported the current cap which limits religious admissions for oversubscribed schools to 50%, or whether they preferred the removal of this cap to allow 100% religious discrimination.
The survey follows a November 2016 survey, also commissioned by the Accord Coalition, which found 72% of respondents - including clear majorities of every religion and belief group - opposed state funded faith schools being able to select or discriminate against prospective pupils on religious grounds in their admissions policies.
At the end of 2016 the National Secular Society responded to the Government's consultation on the proposed changes, saying replacement measures to "promote inclusivity" will do little or nothing once the current cap is gone.
NSS campaigns director Stephen Evans said: "The existing admissions cap of 50% is a half-measure at best, but it is the only meaningful protection to stop total discrimination in faith schools. These are schools that every taxpayer funds and they should not be allowed to discriminate on religious grounds at all."
Find out more: Help us to oppose plans for a new wave of 100% religiously selective schools
More information
Protect relationships and sex education
Age-appropriate relationships and sex education should be every child’s right.
Remove religious appointees from Scottish councils
Religion shouldn’t grant people privileged places in local democracy.
Research and reports
The faith schools research bank
The choice delusion: how faith schools restrict school choice
Three in ten families across England live in areas where most or all of the closest primary schools are faith schools and thousands are being assigned faith schools against their wishes.
Power grab: Academisation and the threat to secular education
Academisation has enabled faith groups to increase their influence over all schools, including those with no religious character. With little public debate, religious governance has increased, while secular oversight has diminished.
Religiosity inspections: the case against faith-based reviews of state schools
Faith based inspections of state schools are an unnecessary drain on public finds, frame widely held values as exclusive, and promote biased religious education.
Faith-shaped holes: How religious privilege is undermining equality law (PDF, 1.3 Mb)
