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
Seven independent faith schools banned from admitting new pupils
Posted: Tue, 8 Oct 2019 14:12
Seven independent schools in England were barred from admitting new pupils this academic year after seriously or persistently failing to meet standards – and all of them were faith schools.
The Department for Education (DfE) published enforcement notices last week which it has sent to the schools since 2017, with failings relating to safeguarding, governance and other issues.
The DfE had previously sent warning notices to all seven schools following poor reports by the school inspectorate Ofsted.
The enforcement action prevents the schools from admitting new pupils. These were the only schools listed as facing such a restriction as of 31 August this year.
The schools sent enforcement letters were:
- Talmud Torah Yetev Lev, a strictly Orthodox Jewish school in London. Pupils at this school reported being slapped or smacked if they misbehaved. Ofsted also criticised the school's "narrow" curriculum, "weak" progress in subjects "other than religious studies", and poor safeguarding.
- Rabia Girls' School, an Islamic school in Luton. The school has "unmet standards" relating to pupils' welfare, health and safety. In 2017 Ofsted found the school was failing to teach British values adequately, limiting girls to "knitting and sewing" in design and technology and separating male and female staff during training sessions.
- Beis Ruchel D'Satmar School, a strictly Orthodox Jewish school in London. School inspectors were prevented from speaking to pupils about their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and school leaders affirmed that they "make no reference to promoting protected characteristics".
- Oak Tree High, an Islamic school in Sheffield. Ofsted inspectors said safeguarding procedures were "lax" and there is "no culture of safeguarding at the school".
- Al-Ihsaan Community College, an Islamic school in Leicester. Pupils there "were not making sufficient progress" and teachers "did not have secure subject knowledge". In 2017 the National Secular Society found that girls at this school were required to observe a strict Islamic modesty code.
- Park Avenue Girls' High School, an Islamic school in Stoke-On-Trent. It was criticised for insufficiently challenging work and poor safeguarding.
- Olive Tree Primary School, an Islamic school in Luton. Ofsted said struggling pupils "are not being well supported".
NSS education and schools officer Alastair Lichten said: "It is very revealing that all seven schools under enforcement action are faith schools.
"Such abysmal failings are inevitable when schools prioritise religious indoctrination over pupils' education and wellbeing.
"All schools that fail to prepare children adequately for life in 21st century UK society must be held to account. Religion is no excuse for failing in this fundamental duty."
Welsh government considers ending right to withdraw from RE & RSE
Posted: Thu, 3 Oct 2019 11:22
The Welsh government has launched a consultation over plans to remove parents' right to withdraw their children from education on religion, relationships and sex.
The consultation will also consider whether to rename religious education as 'religions and worldviews'.
The National Secular Society, which is planning to respond to the consultation, has voiced support for ending the right to withdraw in principle. But the NSS said religious worldviews must be taught impartially before the right to withdraw from education about it is removed.
The plans would be introduced along with a new curriculum, which is set to apply in primary schools and the first year of secondary in 2022.
They would mean all children took part in religions and worldviews and the newly renamed subject of relationships and sexuality education (RSE).
Currently parents can prevent their children from attending religious education and sex and relationships education classes.
Explaining the Welsh government's plans, education minister Kirsty Williams said: "Our vision is for an inclusive education system where all learners can participate in, benefit from and enjoy learning across all subjects.
"I am minded to ensure all pupils study RE and RSE in the new curriculum, just as they will study science, maths and languages.
"It has always been an anomaly that children could be prevented from attending certain subjects. This consultation seeks views on the practical implications of dealing with this anomaly."
NSS education campaigner Alastair Lichten said: "The Welsh government's ambition for an inclusive education system is very welcome, but we advise ministers to proceed with caution.
"The right to withdraw from religious education is an anomaly, but RE has traditionally been used to promote a religious worldview. This must be fully addressed before the right to withdraw is removed, so all pupils have access to high-quality, balanced education about religious and non-religious worldviews. Removing the right of withdrawal without addressing concerns over confessional or impartial RE will risk incompatibility with human rights obligations.
"We welcome the Welsh government's continued commitment to ensuring all pupils have access to inclusive, rights based and accurate RSE. A right to withdraw should not be used to shield pupils from knowledge. But we'll urge policymakers to consider the human rights implications where faith schools use RSE to promote discriminatory, inaccurate or shame-based teachings."
Notes
- The consultation launches on Thursday at 12pm and runs until Thursday 28 November. You can share your views on the Welsh government's website.
- Earlier this year the NSS broadly welcomed the Welsh government's plans to reform RE and RSE in its new curriculum.
- The NSS has previously suggested that RE simply be renamed 'worldviews'.
Image by klimkin from Pixabay.
See also: This isn't the time to end the right to withdraw from RE in Wales
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)
