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
Academy closure will force children into faith schools
Posted: Fri, 2 Oct 2015 13:08
Parents on the Isle of Wight face being forced to accept places at religious schools for their children after plans were announced to close the only non-denominational primary school in the area.
The National Secular Society has joined local parents in calling on Education Secretary Nicky Morgan to reverse a decision to close Weston Primary Academy, arguing that denying parents the choice of a secular school undermines pupils' religious freedom and parental rights to have their philosophical beliefs respected during their children's education.
Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) has written to parents and carers with children at Weston Primary in West Wight to inform them "with great sadness" that decreasing pupil numbers means the school has a small annual budget making it difficult to provide a quality education. It says that it plans to close the school at the end of the Autumn term.
In 2012 the school was saved from closure by opting out of local authority control and gaining academy status. The school has since been put into special measures by Ofsted.
The closure will leave parents with no option other than to home-school or send their children to one of two Church of England schools or a Catholic school. The nearest non-religiously designated school – 12 miles away – is already at full capacity.
AET's decision to close the school has been agreed in principle by Secretary of State for education, Nicky Morgan.
The Department for Education has confirmed to the NSS that, unlike the closure of maintained schools, there is no statutory guidance regarding the closure of academies and there is no requirement to consult.
Stephen Evans, National Secular Society campaigns manager, said: "Closing down a non-religiously designated school and leaving parents with no option other than a faith school is completely unacceptable. To do so without consulting key stakeholders shows complete contempt for the affected families and reveals a disturbing democratic deficit in the academies system.
"Faith schools are so often justified using the mantra of choice, but here, like in so many other areas, we see non-Christian parents and pupils being denied choice and instead being forced into faith-based schools.
"Closing Weston Academy without guaranteeing parents alternative secular provision shows a worrying disregard for parental rights and young people's religious freedom. We very much hope the Secretary of State will rethink her decision to allow this school to close."
George Metcalf, a parent of two children at Weston Academy, told the NSS: "The lack of public accountability in the process is flabbergasting. I am stunned by lack of guidance for the closure of Academies. This is the only non-denominational school in the area and if this school closes, our only other options are faith schools. Being a family of no fixed faith, and believing our children should decide themselves their own spiritual or belief path, we will have no option other than take on the task of home education. It seems to me that if you have a recognised faith you can't be discriminated against, but if you don't identify with a particular religion there is little support."
"Our view about non-denominational schools is also shared by a large amount of parents who are religious, but want their children to decide", he added.
Hollie Griffiths, a parent of two children at Weston Academy said: "I believe the children would be negatively impacted by moving to a faith school. If I ask them to be excluded from religious activities, it would isolate them and that's not an acceptable solution for us."
Danny Hadland, another parent, said: "We are gutted that the only non-faith school on this side of the island is closing. We feel left with no choice in the matter of sending our child to a faith school. This is a great school: the staff and teachers are so lovely. Our daughter has speech therapy and is very shy; since she has been going to Weston Academy she has started to come out of her shell and her speech is improving. Now the school is closing. What is this going to do to her learning? We do not want her to be forced to attend a faith school."
Although there is no consultation parents and other interested parties have until 7 October to submit their views on the intended closure. Views can be submitted to: academy.questions@education.gsi.gov.uk.
Parents have also launched a petition calling on the Secretary of State to keep Weston Primary open.
Orthodox Jewish state school bans TV and the internet from pupils’ homes and tells parents to dress ‘modestly’
Posted: Fri, 18 Sep 2015 13:05
An Orthodox Jewish faith school instructs pupils' parents not to wear bright clothing, to cover their elbows and knees, and to "refrain from following trends which contradict the spirit of modesty."
In a highly restrictive admissions policy, described by one concerned parent as 'controlling', the Yesodey Hatorah school demands that "Charedi girls … abide by the principles and ethics of the Charedi community" and sets outs prohibitions on the dress of parents and guardians.
The policy states that mothers' dresses and skirts may not be shorter than four inches below the knees, and stresses that the knees must "remain covered at all times".
It adds that a "slit in a skirt or dress is absolutely forbidden even if it is completely below the knee."
The policy also forbids parents from wearing "flashy or very brightly coloured clothing" and says that "trendy" fabrics "are related to the casual free way of life of the street culture" and are "not permitted".
Most stringently, it states that "the television is absolutely forbidden" in pupils homes, and that "access to the internet is forbidden". The admissions policy adds that "other unsuitable home entertainment is strictly not allowed."
Parents are required to sign a statement that they will adhere to "the strictest laws" and "moral values" of Charedi beliefs.
The statement explains that "Charedi homes do not have TV or other inappropriate media, and parents will ensure that their children will not have access to the Internet and any other media which do not meet the stringent moral criteria of the Charedi community."
Returning to the stringent dress codes, the policy adds that "mothers and girls, will dress at all times in accordance with the strictest standards of Tznius (modesty) as laid down by the Rabbinate of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations."
The National Secular Society has written to the Department for Education and Office of the Schools Adjudicator raising concerns about the school's failure to respect pupils' individual liberty.
NSS campaigns manager, Stephen Evans, said: "This school is not just limiting its austere and restrictive religious practices to the school day, but insisting on them in pupils' homes as well.
"Schools are supposed to be promoting fundamental values in order to ensure young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. By undermining students' individual liberties there is a real danger that upon leaving school these girls will be prepared for nothing other than a life trapped inside a religious community."
One parent contacted the Independent about the rules and said that the school "control how people behave" and that if "a mother was seen walking down the street with her hair uncovered she wouldn't last a day and nor would her child."
They added that it is "very strongly implied that if you or your child breaches the rules your child will be expelled."
The National Secular Society has previously raised concerns with Ofsted about the Yesodey Hatorah school after it emerged that the girls' school was redacting exam questions on human reproduction and evolution because they conflicted with the school's religious ethos.
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)
