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
Ofsted withdraws 'discriminatory' guidance on inspecting faith schools
Posted: Tue, 17 Jun 2014 10:43
Ofsted has told the National Secular Society that it is updating its guidance on inspecting 'faith schools' following criticism that it endorsed gender segregation in lessons.
Last week the NSS accused Ofsted of "capitulating to oppressive religious demands" and called on the schools watchdog to review the guidance.
The briefing note for inspectors on inspecting 'faith schools', updated just three months ago, advised inspectors that in Muslim faith schools gender segregation "should not be taken as a sign of inequality between different genders."
Inspectors were also advised that art and music lessons in Muslim schools can be "restricted", that health and sex education will be taught within Islamic studies and that daily prayers will often "dictate the shape of the school day".
As pointed out to Ofsted by the NSS, the guidance appeared to contradict Department for Education policy, which has made clear that segregation in the classroom should not be tolerated.
In correspondence to the NSS, Ofsted said the briefing note was "currently being updated and should be published shortly once it has been amended."
The National Secular Society welcomed Ofsted's review.
Stephen Evans, NSS campaigns manager, said: "Ofsted inspectors should not be accommodating unreasonable religious demands from groups involved in running faith schools. Doing so normalises practices inconsistent with core values such as gender equality and individual liberty. Ofsted should be ensuring these values are upheld in schools, not facilitating their erosion.
"We also hope the revised guidance will make no allowance for publicly funded religious schools to dilute the National Curriculum and sex and relationships education in order to accommodate religious dogma. To do so would be a betrayal of children's rights."
Ofsted guidance on inspecting faith schools reveals “disturbing capitulation to religious demands”
Posted: Thu, 12 Jun 2014 14:03
The National Secular Society has accused Ofsted of "capitulating to oppressive religious demands" after the schools regulator told inspectors that gender segregation in faith schools should not be taken as a sign of inequality.
In recently updated guidance on inspecting publicly funded "faith schools", inspectors are advised that in Muslim faith schools: "boys and girls may well be taught or seated separately according to the specific context, particularly during collective acts of worship. This should not be taken as a sign of inequality between different genders."
The guidance also cautions inspectors to be mindful to not misinterpret the wearing of the 'hijab' or headscarf as a sign of repression but instead to "understand that Muslim females see this as a part of their identity and a commitment to their beliefs within Islam".
The guidance says most schools have a uniform for boys and girls which represents the "Islamic principle of modesty".
Inspectors are advised that art and music lessons in Muslim schools can be "restricted", that health and sex education will be taught within Islamic studies and that daily prayers will often "dictate the shape of the school day".
In a section on "etiquette", female inspectors are advised to "wear a trouser suit or longer skirt and jacket to cover their arms". Female inspectors are also recommended to "carry a scarf in case they enter the prayer room".
According to the guidance "Muslim men do not usually shake hands with women, and Muslim women do not shake hands with men". Ofsted advise the "best policy is not to offer to shake hands unless someone offers their hand to you".
It says inspectors also need to be aware that they may find themselves providing feedback from a lesson to a teacher that may be wearing a full 'niqaab' (face and head cover). In some schools male inspectors are told they will need another female present in order to give feedback to a female teacher.
The guidelines lay down that when inspecting single-sex religious schools, the inspection team should "reflect the gender of the school".
In mixed sex Jewish schools, inspectors are told that boys and girls are "in reality" taught separately – sometimes on two different sites some distance from one another.
When inspecting Jewish schools female inspectors are advised to wear a skirt rather than trousers and a blouse, but that any blouse worn should cover the collar bone. When inspecting strictly ultra-orthodox schools, inspectors are warned to "avoid wearing bright colours, and red in particular".
The guidance appears to be at odds with Department for Education policy. A spokesperson for the DfE, said: "We are clear that segregation in the classroom is wrong. The Equalities Act applies to all types of school and it is unlawful for schools to discriminate against a pupil by treating them less favourably because of their sex."
The National Secular Society called on Ofsted to review its guidance.
Keith Porteous Wood, NSS executive director, said: "These guidelines reveal a disturbing capitulation to oppressive religious demands in publicly funded schools. It also highlights the extent to which religious identities are being foisted on young people whilst at school.
"The guidance serves to normalise practices inconsistent with values such as personal liberty and gender equality, which should be promoted in schools, not eroded.
"The apparent willingness to sacrifice the National Curriculum and sex and relationships education in order to accommodate religious dogma betrays children's rights and poorly equips pupils for life outside the school gates."
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)
