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
NSS calls on equality body to promote inclusive education
Posted: Wed, 9 Jan 2019 16:31
The National Secular Society has called on the body which enforces Britain's equality laws to back an "inclusive and secular education system" in response to its latest strategic plan.
In response to an Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) consultation, the NSS said Britain's faith-based education systems "impede efforts to cultivate an understanding of prejudice and promote good relations".
The consultation was launched after the EHRC published its draft strategic plan, which outlines its priorities until 2022. The plan outlines the commission's key strategic goals, one of which is "to advance the conditions for a more equal and rights-respecting Britain".
The NSS said faith schools represent "a clear threat to children's autonomy and religious freedom" and fuelled segregation between communities. The EHRC says it aims to ensure admissions rules "better promote diverse school populations" and removed "barriers to inclusivity".
The NSS also warned that the schools' impact on access to secular schooling was "often overlooked". Last month an NSS report, The Choice Delusion, found that three in 10 parents in England lived in areas where most or all of the closest primary schools are faith schools.
The NSS told the EHRC that employment in faith schools should be subject to the 2010 Equality Act. This would mean schools would only be able to apply religious selection where they could demonstrate a genuine occupational requirement for it.
The NSS raised the problem of many faith schools contravening their equalities duties by teaching distorted relationships and sex education (RSE). Last year an NSS report found that 77% of faith schools were teaching RSE in accordance with religious scripture.
Elsewhere the NSS called for action to protect women in minority religious communities from the rulings of religious 'courts' and to ensure LGBT+ members of religious communities have access to secular justice.
The EHRC's plan says it aims to ensure "rules governing legal aid, courts, whistleblowing and/or oversight mechanisms more effectively facilitate access to justice".
The NSS added that children should be protected from genital cutting no matter what their gender or community background. The EHRC says one of its key strategic goals is "to protect the rights of people in the most vulnerable situations".
The NSS expressed its disappointment with a government announcement in July 2018 that it would not explicitly recognise caste-based discrimination under equality legislation. The EHRC strongly rebuked the government over its decision at the time.
The NSS said it was "essential" that authorities with the responsibility of protecting women and girls from violence are "empowered to act and assist victims no matter what community they belong to". The EHRC said it wanted to tackle rules and practices that undermine access to justice for women and girls who have been subject to violence.
The NSS said religious-based discrimination was "a barrier to employment" and religious and sexual minorities faced discrimination when public services were contracted out to religious groups.
It also said the commission should prioritise free speech as it works to ensure new technologies and digital services promote equality and human rights.
Commenting on the response, NSS chief executive Stephen Evans said: "We support the EHRC in its mission to promote and uphold equality and human rights ideals and laws. Our submission outlines how it can ensure religious privilege does not impede progress towards its stated goal of a more equal and rights-respecting Britain."
Council abandons review of discretionary faith school transport
Posted: Fri, 4 Jan 2019 11:47
The National Secular Society has criticised a council in north Wales for abandoning plans to review its provision of discretionary free transport to faith schools.
Wrexham Council had proposed removing the service, which takes children over long distances to 17 faith schools, as part of a programme of budget cuts and tax rises.
The council provides free travel for children who live more than two or three miles from faith schools, even when those children have non-faith schools nearer to their homes. It estimates that the service costs £302,000.
The council's budget review has also considered the future of services such as local libraries and fortnightly bin collections and proposed a six per cent increase in council tax. It says it faces a £9m shortfall in its budget for 2019-20.
It has now said it will not review the faith school transport scheme after receiving feedback.
Council leader Mark Pritchard said: "We've had a long discussion between the political groups within the alliance and we've decided we won't be taking it forward."
The headteacher of the only faith-based secondary school in the area was among those who publicly criticised the plan. But around half of people who responded to a council consultation welcomed the proposed change.
NSS chief executive Stephen Evans said it was "alarming to see councillors bowing to pressure from the vocal faith schools lobby in this way".
"With the council facing a budget shortfall, this decision to continue with discriminatory and discretionary spending on free transport to faith schools means the authority will now be forced to make cuts elsewhere.
"If parents feel strongly about children attending a more distant faith school, it is reasonable to expect them to meet the cost rather than the taxpayer and for public funds to be channelled where they are most needed."
Last month the NSS wrote to councillors to urge them to take a decision on the issue based on "equality for all families and taxpayers".
Statutory school transport arrangements entitle low-income children to free travel over longer distances if they attend faith schools.
Wrexham is one of a number of local authorities which provide a service that goes beyond the minimum requirement. But in recent years several councils have reviewed their provision of discriminatory transport to faith schools.
The NSS campaigns in favour of equitable school transport policies which are free from religious privilege and fair to all families and taxpayers.
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)
