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
Catholic school’s admissions policy leaves family in “turmoil”
Posted: Thu, 22 May 2014 13:33
Parents of a child refused a place at a state funded Catholic school have criticised the school over its admissions criteria, and say the school's policy of giving preferential treatment to worshippers has left their lives in turmoil.
Oscar, aged 4, has been denied a place at St Thomas of Canterbury primary school, near Gillingham, because his parents, who live just minutes away from the school gates, don't regularly practice a religion.
The family now say they will be forced to withdraw their other son from the school, which he has attended since the age of 3.
The boy's father, David Patterson, a non-practising Christian, and his wife, of Hindu background, said the anger and stress caused by the school's unfair admissions policy has caused havoc to their family life.
Mr Patterson said: "Being discriminated against because of your religion isn't a good feeling. What has really shocked us is the way the school has showed no regard whatsoever for the effect this is having on our children and on ourselves, who are expected to deal with the upset and stress in having to take our children to two separate schools, as well as care for our young baby. It just can't be done.
"This unrest and lack of care from the school has forced us to make decisions concerning removing our eldest child from St Thomas's and request a place at the same school as his younger brother."
Despite being publicly funded, the school says it exists primarily to serve the Catholic community and that Catholic children will always have priority.
The school's strict admissions criteria give priority to "baptised Catholic children" and children of other denominations and religions who can provide evidence of their faith. Children from non-religious or non-practising backgrounds are only admitted if additional places are available after children from faith backgrounds have been prioritised.
Schools with a religious character have an exemption from the Equality Act, which prevents people from being treated worse than others on grounds of religion and belief.
Mr Patterson said: "Even given the exemptions, I fail to see why a Catholic school should be permitted to give preferential treatment to children from other religious traditions over children from non-practising or atheist families."
"I'd prefer our children to decide for themselves what they believe when they're old enough to make an informed decision. Parents who choose not to put a religious label on their children are treated as second class citizens", added Mr Patterson.
The family say they have received support from local religious figures, including the local Catholic priest, who told them the school should have used its discretion to "keep a loving family unit together".
Stephen Evans, campaigns manager at the National Secular Society, said: "This is just one example of how unfair and discriminatory admissions arrangements impact on the lives of families up and down the country.
"Discrimination based on religion or belief is rooted in a bygone era and should have no place in state education. A fair and reasonable admissions policy would not turn away local children from publicly funded schools simply on the basis of their parent's beliefs or lack of religious practice."
Scottish local authority plans to introduce discriminatory schools admissions policy
Posted: Mon, 19 May 2014 16:51
Falkirk Council has announced plans to change admissions policies for all its denominational (Roman Catholic) schools to ensure baptised children are given priority over other children.
Under the plans, only pupils that can demonstrate affiliation to the RC church by means of a baptismal certificate will be automatically entitled to enrol at their catchment denominational school. All other pupils will be required to submit a "placing request", and will only be accepted if places remain unfilled by children from Catholic backgrounds.
Falkirk's denominational schools are currently open equally to pupils of all religious and non-religious backgrounds. However, the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 gives education authorities the right to give priority to pupils baptised as Roman Catholic where demand exceeds available places at a denominational school.
The unitary authority says that despite increasing denominational provision in the area, demand for places at Roman Catholic schools can no longer be met. It says without changes to the admissions policy it will be unable to fulfil its legal duty to offer a denominational education to Roman Catholic families.
Separate denominational state schools were established in Scotland as a result of the Education Act 1918, since when Roman Catholic schools have been fully funded by the Scottish Government and administered by the Education and Lifelong Learning Directorate.
Stephen Evans, National Secular Society campaigns manager, said: "It's incredibly sad that a mindset of 'our schools' and 'their schools' persists in modern Scotland.
"Here we have a situation where integration between children of different backgrounds is naturally occurring and the Local Authority is stepping in to ensure religious division is enforced.
"Surely children in Scotland being educated together, regardless of religion or belief background, is the best hope for a future free of religious bigotry."
A public consultation is now open and will run until 27 June 2014. Full details of the plans can be read in the proposal document (pdf).
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)
