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
Over half of independent schools warned in March were faith schools
Posted: Fri, 10 May 2019 12:08
Three Jewish schools which shielded children from knowledge about different types of people, including LGBT people and people from non-Jewish backgrounds, were among 10 independent faith schools warned in March.
Last week the Department for Education (DfE) published warning notices which it sent to 16 independent schools which Ofsted inspectors have identified as failing in March. The schools included four Islamic schools, three Jewish schools and three Christian schools.
One of the Islamic schools had a book in the library which promoted death for adultery. Another had failed to respond to a "very serious" allegation relating to safeguarding. Safeguarding was also a concern at two Christian schools.
The three Jewish schools were all criticised for failing to teach children about people with the protected characteristics outlined in the 2010 Equality Act, which protects people from discrimination.
Beis Ruchel Girls School, an all-through Orthodox Jewish school in Manchester, was "unwilling to compromise with regard to the teaching of aspects of the Equality Act", meaning pupils were not taught about "different kinds of families and gender issues". Pupils made slow progress in writing because most speak Yiddish at home and have "little access" to English reading materials.
Ofsted noted that pupils were "not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as other pupils" because of their "unfamiliarity with technology" and "lack of understanding about the wider world".
Inspectors also observed a reluctance to teach aspects of the Equality Act at Tiferes High School, a girls' secondary school in London that aims to "educate its pupils to fill the traditional role of a Bas Yisroel [Jewish woman] in the modern world".
The school's anti-bullying policy did not "refer specifically to homophobic bullying as a form of discriminatory bullying", and pupils did not "routinely get opportunities to meet people with different faiths and cultural traditions".
Ofsted also said the school building was "not maintained well enough to secure pupils' safety and welfare", and outdoor spaces are "unsuitable" for pupils to socialise and relax.
Tashbar of Manchester, a Jewish school for primary age pupils in Salford, was criticised for failing to provide for "development of pupils' awareness or understanding" of "any matters concerning sexuality, transgender status or other religions".
It was also criticised for its "restricted" time spent on secular education, including by teaching no science in Year Six. The school supports teachers to attend training on religious education, but teacher training in secular subjects is "infrequent".
Lantern of Knowledge Secondary School, a boys' Islamic school in London, was rated 'inadequate' by Ofsted after a book that said "a person who is married and commits adultery, and who either confesses or whose act is proven, pays for it with his life" was found in the school library.
The book also said homosexuals "advocate a view of human relationships that is at odds with the natural order and stability of human society" and "tolerating homosexuality and promiscuity means encouraging them and pushing more and more people to practice them".
The school was also criticised for its leaders' "overgenerous" view of the school's performance, as the standards of pupils' work were "generally below what is expected for pupils of that age".
Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaam, an Islamic boarding school for boys in Bradford in West Yorkshire that accepts pupils from ages 11 to 25, was also rated 'inadequate'. According to Ofsted, "insufficient action" had been taken in relation to a "very serious" allegation relating to safeguarding that is being investigated by the police.
Additionally, the school's shower and toilet areas were described as "unsanitary and unsafe", with "exposed electrical wiring" that poses "a serious risk of harm" as a result of leaking water coming into contact with electrics.
There were also a "number of failings in relation to fire safety", a lack of staff training on keeping pupils safe from criminal exploitation, and limited common room space for pupils to spend leisure time together.
Ofsted criticised Mehria School, an Islamic school for primary age children in Luton in Bedfordshire, over failures relating to the most able pupils, pupils who require additional support, internet safety, employment checks, the school website and accessibility plans.
At Madinatul Uloom Al Islamiya School, an Islamic boarding school for boys aged 11-28 in the Worecestershire town of Kidderminster, Ofsted said pupils were reluctant to report incidents of bullying.
It also said the time pupils could use payphones or their mobile phones to contact families was limited, which "potentially prevents them from talking to key family members" when they have any concerns or worries.
Safeguarding standards were not met at two independent Christian schools. At Clifton College, a Church of England boarding school in Bristol, recruitment procedures were "not suitably rigorous" and staff were sometimes employed before all "necessary recruitment checks are undertaken".
Christian boarding school Plymouth College had not always followed statutory safeguarding guidance "in relation to day pupils who are not collected from school".
St Joseph's Convent School, a Catholic primary girls' school in London, does not have a "strategic approach to risk assessment" and risks are not identified in "significant areas of school life". Additionally, the information made available to parents, inspectors and the Department for Education "is not sufficient", with no details of the proprietor published and no information available on the school's arrangements for many aspects of school life.
Schools that receive warnings must improve within a specified period or they will be removed from the independent schools register.
In April the DfE published warning notices which it had issued to 11 independent schools, including six faith schools.
National Secular Society campaigns officer Megan Manson said: "We should be deeply concerned that so many independent faith schools are failing to give children a decent education or in some cases even to uphold basic safeguarding procedures.
"In many cases, the reasons for failure relate directly to the faith ethos of the school. Libraries containing books that endorse death for adulterers and promote homophobic views, a refusal to teach about LGBT people, and prioritising religious education to the detriment of secular education result from faith schools' desire to prioritise inculcation of religion above preparation of children for life in British society."
"The government must make it clear that all independent schools, regardless of their ethos, will be held to the same high standards and expectations."
DfE de-prioritises respect for difference in independent schools
Posted: Fri, 3 May 2019 11:46
The Department for Education has watered down requirements on independent schools in England to promote respect for difference, in an apparent sop to religious groups.
In guidance published this week the DfE said schools must provide personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) and the PSHE curriculum "must be designed to encourage respect for other people".
It then referred to "the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010", which include sexual orientation, sex, religion or belief and gender reassignment.
But it also said twice that schools should teach respect "only to the extent that it is considered age appropriate".
It added that schools would not "normally" face enforcement action if they failed to meet "only one or two" of the independent school standards, depending on the "severity" of the failures.
The guidance also said schools may teach that "some religions, all religions, or atheism / agnosticism are wrong" provided they make clear that "adherents of those belief systems should be treated with respect".
In all three cases the DfE added these lines after holding a consultation on a draft version of its document.
The changes appear to give independent faith schools an opportunity to promote intolerant attitudes towards LGBT+ people, women and those whose views on religion clash with their own.
The documents do not make clear what would constitute a minor breach of the standards. But they note that a "significant proportion" of concerns about the need to promote equality in response to the draft guidance came from "the Charedi Jewish community".
Charedi Jewish groups have been in prolonged discussions with the DfE and the education inspectorate Ofsted over these issues in recent months, with one representative describing a meeting in February as a "breakthrough".
In an explanatory document outlining how the DfE will enforce the guidance the DfE said it had tried to "strike a balance" reflecting both the concerns of religious groups and schools' legal obligation to promote respect.
The guidance allows schools to teach that their faiths have "teachings relevant to these matters" but not to encourage pupils "not to respect other people on the basis of a protected characteristic".
But it also gives schools "wide discretion" to adjust their content in PSHE to reflect their "aims and ethos", including "the requirements of a specific faith ethos".
The National Secular Society, which has played a leading role in efforts to ensure oversight of independent faith schools, expressed concern at this provision in its response to the DfE's draft guidance. The society said schools' ability to promote their ethos should not be allowed to "override their duty to provide accurate information for pupils".
The guidance says independent schools may teach creationism as part of a belief system but should not present it "as having a similar or superior evidence base to scientific theories". It adds that schools "should not suggest that those who hold creationist beliefs are not worthy of respect".
In its submission to the consultation the NSS suggested changing the first of these lines to say creationism "should clearly be differentiated from science and evidence based views of origins".
The guidance says schools should "endeavour to minimise the impact" of faith community-based ostracism of families at school. In its submission to the consultation the NSS called for this provision to be strengthened to make clear that pupils and parents should not be excluded as a result of ostracism.
Elsewhere the guidance explicitly states that schools will fail to meet the standards if they encourage children to view particular groups of people as inferior to others or deserving less respect.
This includes schools who teach children that same-sex married couples do not deserve the protection which a marriage affords in law. The guidance also says schools must not encourage pupils to believe that women who become pregnant outside of marriage deserve punishment or disrespect.
The NSS welcomed these provisions. In its response to the consultation the NSS recommended that schools should be seen as failing their duties under equality legislation if they shielded pupils from knowledge about specific groups of people.
The explanatory document includes a stronger response than previously on schools which fail multiple inspections, saying such schools "will not be able to remain indefinitely in a loop of action plans and re-inspection".
The NSS called for action on this in its response to the consultation.
The explanatory document adds that parents should not be able to prevent schools from being held to account.
"The government does not believe that parental views should result in a situation in which some schools are automatically treated differently from others by, in effect, being immune from enforcement action for breaching certain standards."
The NSS has recently raised concerns over a growing trend of parents in independent faith schools, particularly independent Jewish schools, refusing to allow their children to speak to inspectors.
The explanatory document also tells schools they cannot "pick and choose which standards a school needs to comply with".
The guidance contains clearer standards than previously on gender segregation. It says schools will "have to be able to show that the children are being prepared for engagement with communities where gender mixing is common".
It adds that children should be prepared to "understand and respect that any gender can fulfil almost any role in society, with very few exceptions (such as ministers in some religions)".
In 2017 the Court of Appeal ruled that an Islamic school's policy of segregating boys from girls amounted to unlawful sex discrimination.
The guidance also makes clear that schools are likely to fail the standards if they "teach that the requirements of religious law permit the requirements of English civil or criminal law to be disregarded".
That line was inserted after the consultation. In its consultation response the NSS said children learning about religious 'laws' or codes should "learn that the onus is on them to find a way to follow them consistent with the rule of law and the rights of others".
NSS education and schools officer Alastair Lichten said: "The government's apparent deference to religious groups within this guidance is worrying. Faith schools must be held to the same standards as non-faith schools.
"This guidance makes some positive steps but leaves room for interpretation in some crucial places. We'll be watching vigilantly to see whether this will mean the government watering down its commitment to children's rights in the face of extreme, overheated rhetoric from some advocates of independent faith schools.
"We also hope Ofsted will continue to hold independent faith schools to the same standards as non-faith independent schools."
The guidance will be reviewed before December 2020. It will also be updated once requirements to teach sex education outlined in the Children and Social Work Act of 2017 are implemented.
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)
