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
Creationism blocked in Scottish science classes
Posted: Thu, 28 May 2015 13:53
The Scottish education minister has stated that creationism should not be taught in science classes in publicly-funded Scottish schools.
Alasdair Allan, Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland's Languages, said that creationism is not a "scientific principle" and "it should therefore not be taught as part of science lessons."
The announcement came after a statement by the Holyrood Parliament, following a petition and campaign by the Scottish Secular Society urging the Scottish Government to tackle the issue, after cases emerged of Christian fundamentalists handing out creationist literature in schools.
NSS spokesperson for Scotland Alastair McBay commented: "Scottish secularists have done a superb job in tackling this issue in the face of predictable opposition from religious interests. The degree of infiltration in Scotland's schools, particularly non-denominational ones, by Christian fundamentalists, means that we must all remain vigilant as these people take no notice of Government edicts and will continue to teach such nonsense under a flag of freedom of religious expression. Creationist beliefs may be a topic for religious education classes, but they have no place in the science classroom."
The Scottish Secular Society's petition had called on the Scottish Parliament to "urge the Scottish Government to issue official guidance to bar the presentation in Scottish publicly funded schools of separate creation and of Young Earth doctrines as viable alternatives to the established science of evolution, common descent, and deep time."
The Scottish Government had previously not explicitly stated that the teaching of creationism as a valid scientific theory was prohibited, but has now done so.
The Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland said that the debate was "an extraordinary waste of parliamentary time."
In January 2015, a motion was put forward by two MSPs which called for Scottish children to be made "aware" of creationist teaching. One of the supporters of the motion, John Mason MSP, tweeted: "I think science is better sticking to what exists. How and why things came about is probably better not included in science."
In England, the Department for Education has previously stated that teaching creationism as scientific fact is "wrong" and that schools are not permitted to teach creationism instead of valid and thoroughly evidenced scientific theories.
The DfE says it will not accept any academy or free school proposal which plans to teach creationism in the science curriculum.
72% support council’s bid to cut free travel subsidy for faith schools
Posted: Tue, 26 May 2015 13:45
Kirklees Council is considering ending free travel to faith schools in a bid to cut out unnecessary expenditure. The move has widespread local support, with 72% of 926 consultation responses in support of the measure.
Currently, pupils receive free bus passes to faith schools- funded by the council- for secondary schools over three miles away and for primary schools more than two miles away from their home even if a closer school exists.
A council report stated: "Returning to a statutory provision will remove the risk of requests for transport provision in the future from people of other religions and beliefs."
The council is therefore proposing a return to the minimum transport provision it is required to provide. This is expected to save £110,000 a year.
The cuts, if approved, are expected to come into force in September 2016 and will affect 456 pupils currently in receipt of free bus passes to attend faith schools. The Council says it is "impossible" to say how many children would change schools to save transport costs.
National Secular Society campaigns manager Stephen Evans commented: "There are huge costs involved in organising educational provision along religious lines. As well as being morally wrong and leading to social segregation, it is expensive and inefficient. As the Kirklees Council report finds, providing free transport to all faith schools when closer schools exist is not a cost taxpayers should be expected to pay."
A final decision will be made by Kirklees Council in early June.
The news follows a court ruling last week in which a judge concluded that the state is not obliged to subsidise transport costs between a child's home and a faith school if a closer mainstream school exists. Though the court ruled in favour of a Catholic school affected by transport-subsidy cuts proposed by Swansea Council, the judgment made clear that local authorities are not under any obligation to provide subsidised transport for pupils attending faith 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)
