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
Faith school that limits biology teaching fails inspection
Posted: Mon, 20 Dec 2021 15:19
An independent faith school that does not teach biology beyond Year 8 has been criticised by inspectors.
Beis Medrash Elyon, an "ultra-orthodox" (Charedi) Jewish secondary school for boys in the London borough of Barnet, was rated "inadequate" in its latest Ofsted inspection report, published last week.
According to the report, the school's secular curriculum is "too narrow". Beyond Year 8, there is "no formal learning in creative or technological education", and biology is "not taught at all".
This "limits pupils' learning opportunities", inspectors said.
The secondary school curriculum specifies pupils should learn about human reproduction and natural selection in biology.
In 2013, Charedi school leaders and advisors criticised plans to include evolution in the GCSE biology curriculum, and a Jewish school was found to be censoring GCSE science questions.
Additionally, the school's relationships and sex education (RSE) programme falls short of guidance because "it does not include teaching about LGBT relationships".
Schools are required to teach about protected characteristics in equality law, including sexual orientation, to secondary-age pupils in an age-appropriate manner.
According to the report, the school requested inspectors not to ask pupils about LGBT relationships.
In February a report from Jewish counter-extremism group Nahamu highlighted how a lack of sex education contributes to forced marriage in strictly-Orthodox Jewish communities.
It also said the exclusion of any reference to LGBT people in Orthodox Jewish schools means LGBT people in these communities face "very serious issues of consent" when presented with a universal expectation of early, heterosexual marriage.
The report said pupils complete some qualifications "as quickly as possible and at unusually young ages". This means pupils "do not develop deep knowledge and understanding in their subjects". Additionally, some teachers "do not have the training they need to become subject specialists".
It said pupils study GCSEs from as soon as Year 7. After Year 10, they leave to study at a yeshiva – a theological school which focuses on the study of traditional Jewish texts.
Inspectors also said there are "serious concerns" about the school's systems for recruiting staff, as the process does not pay regard to guidance on safeguarding.
Beis Medrash Elyon has never achieved higher than "requires improvement" in an Ofsted inspection since it opened in 2013.
NSS comment
NSS head of education Alastair Lichten said: "This damning report suggests this school prioritises preparing pupils for a life of religious study over preparing them for a life full of opportunities in wider British society.
"Its refusal to teach about LGBT relationships and its lack of biology lessons beyond Year 8 is very concerning, especially as a lack of adequate and inclusive sex education has been identified as a factor in the real issue of forced marriage in Charedi communities.
"The government must act to ensure faith schools that consistently fail are brought in line with basic school standards, even if those standards conflict with the school's religious ethos."
Closing non-faith Wigan school may be unlawful, NSS warns
Posted: Tue, 14 Dec 2021 10:14
The closure of a community school in Wigan may be unlawful, the National Secular Society has cautioned.
Wigan council plans to reduce excess school places by closing either Abram Bryn Gates primary community school or Holy Family Catholic primary school.
In a consultation response on proposed school reorganisation, the NSS said the loss of secular provision resulting from closing Abram Bryn Gates may result in Wigan Council being in breach of their obligation to provide pupils with a suitable education.
The Education Act 1996 places a duty on local authorities to provide schools sufficient in number and character to provide for all pupils the opportunity of "appropriate education."
The response also highlighted the significant risk of undermining human rights, particularly Article 9 of the Human Rights Act which protects the right to freedom of thought, belief and religion.
NSS research has shown that 81% of postcodes in Wigan experience high or extreme restrictions on the choice of a non-faith primary school. This affects 90% of postcodes in the Abram ward – a figure that would approach 100% if Abram Bryn Gate were to close, as five of its nearest six schools are faith-based. This would leave many families with no choice but a faith school.
Comments
NSS head of education, Alastair Lichten, said:
"Far too many families in Abram and across Wigan, already have no choice but a faith school. Increasing this problem by closing Abram Bryn Gates would raise serious questions about the council's legal obligation to ensure adequate school provision.
"All pupils should have reasonable access to a local schools organised around an inclusive community ethos, rather than a religious belief that they may not share."
Local opposition
The NSS has been supporting families campaigning against the closure of the community school. One local resident told the NSS:
"Closing this school would not only devastate pupils and staff but rip the heart out of the community too. Choice of non-faith schools is already limited for parents."
Another parent commented:
"My children love this community school, the alternative options are miles away and are faith schools. I want my children to make their own decisions with regard to religion, rather than have it forced down their throats at a young age."
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)
