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 of England School refuses parish council appeal to change faith-based admissions criteria
Posted: Thu, 24 Apr 2014 16:47
A Church of England school near Sevenoaks, Kent has refused an appeal by the local parish council to end discrimination against non-churchgoers.
In a letter to the Chair of Governors at Chevening CE Primary School, Howard Dilley, chair of Chevening Parish Council, called on the school to reverse the discriminatory element of its admissions policy in order to create a "more cohesive community" in the parish.
The letter followed concern amongst local residents that children were unable to attend their local school.
The school's admissions currently prioritise children of regular attendees of the local St Botolph's Church and other Christian churches, above other children who live near to the school.
Chairman of governors, the Reverend Chris Smith, defended their decision not to reverse the admissions policy, saying: "Most years anyone from the village who wants their child to come to Chevening School will succeed".
Rev Smith also stressed that the school regarded itself as a "church school" over and above being a "village school". He said prioritising 'distance' above 'children from other churches' would affect the school's ability to market itself as a faith school.
"The school's church ethos is not only at the core of what the school is but it is also what distinguishes us from other schools and attracts many families", said Rev Smith.
Rev Smith also questioned whether local families really wanted to attend the school, pointing out that a large majority (77%) of parish families did not choose to send their children to the school.
Responding to the refusal to change the policy Mr Dilley suggested that the school drop 'Chevening' from the school name to make clear that it was primarily a church school rather than a village school and integral part of the community.
In 2013 Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: "We are seeing a deeper and deeper commitment to the common good" at church schools, which he said were "moving away from faith-based entry tests." His comments were quickly reversed in a statement from Lambeth Palace in which he said: "I fully support the current policy for schools to set their own admissions criteria, including the criterion of faith."
Stephen Evans, campaigns manager at the National Secular Society, said: "For some parents the local school will be the most appropriate school for their needs. It is unjustifiable that any publicly funded schools are permitted to discriminate against children simply on the basis of their parents not attending church. Discrimination on grounds of religion and belief should be as unlawful in our education system as it is in all other areas of life."
The full correspondence between the council and church school can be read here
NSS welcomes investigation into “extremist schools”
Posted: Mon, 14 Apr 2014 11:59
The National Secular Society has welcomed reports that Ofsted inspectors are to be sent to schools amid concerns that children are being radicalised and exposed to extremist ideologies.
According to a report in the Sunday Times, Education Secretary Michael Gove will instruct inspectors to fail schools where "religious conservatism is getting in the way of learning and a balanced curriculum."
15 schools in Birmingham have so far been inspected by Ofsted at the request of the Department for Education (DfE). The reports, due to be published after Easter, are expected to find a common pattern of problems in some of the schools inspected.
The move follows revelations of an alleged 'Trojan horse' plot by Muslim hardliners to seize control of community schools and non-religiously designated academies in Birmingham by forcing out unsympathetic governors and headteachers, with a view to ensuring schools are run on "Islamic principles".
The Government's investigation has now widened to at least 25 schools, following similar allegations emerging in Bradford and Manchester.
According to The Times, if enough of the schools inspected are judged "inadequate" by Ofsted, a second wave of snap inspections will take place.
The Department for Education said it was vital the investigations were "carried out impartially" and that it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.
A Whitehall source told The Sunday Times:
"The investigations will be done over several phases over the next few months and will help narrow down the schools that require further investigation by the DfE and those that are deemed OK and not connected to the Islamicisation."
A parallel investigation is also being carried out by Birmingham City Council, and one academy school has had its financial arrangements reviewed by the Education Funding Agency.
Birmingham City Council last week announced a freeze on the recruitment of local authority school governors across Birmingham stating that the system was "not fit for purpose."
Earlier this month, Prime Minister David Cameron warned that "we will not accept any school being run by extremists or promoting extremist views."
Labour MPs said ministers should have dealt with the allegations more quickly.
Tristram Hunt, the shadow education secretary, said: "Michael Gove has demonstrated a shocking degree of complacency. His failure to act on the warning signs is putting the schooling of our children at risk."
Stephen Evans, campaigns manager at the National Secular Society, said: "We welcome the Government's robust response to these specific allegations, but it has a very long way to go before we can be confident that children's education isn't being compromised by groups with a religious agenda.
"The Government's enthusiasm for 'faith schools' means religious groups motivated by a desire to promote a particular brand of religion are being actively encouraged to open schools with public money. Allowing such sectarianism to become so entrenched in our state education system is bad for children and young people and bad for social cohesion.
"Only when we have an inclusive secular education system in which religious organisations play no formal role, can we be confident that our schools are properly focussed on delivering the best education possible rather than encouraging adherence to any particular religious belief."
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)
