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
Forced academisation could impose religion on pupils
Posted: Wed, 3 Jun 2015 12:54
The National Secular Society has warned that proposals to force struggling local authority schools in England to become academies could increase the proportion of faith based schools.
The NSS has written to the Education Secretary Nicky Morgan seeking assurances that upon conversion, no non-religiously designated school would be permitted to acquire a religious designation or faith ethos.
The Government's new Education and Adoption Bill will force councils and governing bodies to actively progress the conversion of failing schools into academies. Education Secretary Nicky Morgan says the tough new measures intended to turn around failing schools will "sweep away bureaucratic and legal loopholes" that previously prevented schools from being improved.
However, the NSS has warned that without adequate safeguards, schools joining faith academy chains could acquire a religious designation or faith ethos upon conversion with no opportunity for parents to object or even be consulted.
Stephen Evans, National Secular Society campaigns manager, said: "Plans to scrap the requirement for academy sponsors to consult with school communities, including parents, could result in a faith based education being imposed on parents and young people against their wishes.
"Given England's religiously diverse population – around half of which self-identify as non-religious, any increase in the proportion of religiously designated or faith ethos schools is likely to impede parents' ability to secure an education that doesn't run counter to their beliefs.
"Forcing a religious ethos on young people through their education would in many cases disrespect their parents' wishes and be at odds with principles of fairness and equality. The Government need to be aware that respecting young people's right to religious freedom and an objective education is part of, and not separate from, looking after their best interests."
The NSS has warned that the academisation of local authority controlled schools would increase the risk of faith-based organisations gaining greater control over school curriculums, admissions arrangements and employment practices – leading to even greater discrimination in our education system than already exists.
A shortage of school places in many parts country of has already seen parents allocated faith schools against their wishes.
NSS calls for investigation of Orthodox Jewish schools after driving ban on mothers
Posted: Fri, 29 May 2015 09:50
The National Secular Society has called on the Department for Education to investigate two independent Orthodox Jewish schools following demands that pupils be barred from school if dropped off by mothers after a driving 'driving ban' was imposed on women by school leaders.
A religious ruling from rabbinic leaders of the Orthodox Jewish Belz sect says allowing women to drive violates "the traditional rules of modesty in our camp."
Belz sect members run two large schools in north London, Talmud Torah Machzikei Hadass, which educates 444 boys and Beis Malka, which is attended by 135 girls. Both schools are rated 'good' by Ofsted.
The Jewish Chronicle has revealed that a letter sent out last week by the sect's leaders insists that as of August students would not be allowed to enter school if their mothers drove them there.
According to the letter, the increasing numbers of mothers who drive has led to "great resentment among parents of pupils in our institutions".
Stephen Pollard, editor of The Jewish Chronicle, said he found the ban "repellent" and said the call to prevent children from attending the schools if their mothers drive them would have "profound implications".
Commenting on the reports, National Secular Society campaigns manager, Stephen Evans, said: "We trust the DfE will ensure that no child is ostracised or has their education disrupted on the basis of a misogynistic diktat handed down by religious leaders.
"We have written to the DfE asking it to investigate whether these schools are being run by fit and proper persons, whether they are in breach of Independent School Standards by undermining the fundamental value of individual liberty and whether any discrimination has occurred contrary to Equality Act 2010."
Dina Brawer, UK Ambassador of the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance, told London's Evening Standard: "Blocking women from driving portrays this very patriarchal society where traditional values are upheld, but they are facing a changing world and they are reacting with an almost extremism.
"They see any role that women take outside the home space as a bit of a problem and somehow it's really hard for them to see women being independent and doing things on their own."
It is not the first time that Orthodox Jewish schools in Stamford Hill have caused controversy. In 2014 The National Secular Society uncovered evidence of the publicly funded Yesodey Hatorah girls' secondary school censoring exam paper questions on human reproduction and evolution. NSS campaigning led to the exam regulator Ofqual banning redaction of exam questions, a practice that had previously been tolerated on grounds of 'religious sensitivity'. The controversy raised questions over whether some faith schools are compromising children's education by shielding them from key scientific concepts.
Earlier this year, the NSS raised concerns over the growing number of children being 'educated' in unauthorised religious schools, some of which are run by the Charedi community in Stamford Hill.
UPDATE
In a statement released to the National Secular Society, Education Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities, Nicky Morgan said:
"This is completely unacceptable in modern Britain. If schools do not actively promote the principle of respect for other people they are breaching the independent school standards. Where we are made aware of such breaches we will investigate and take any necessary action to address the situation."
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)
