Opinion
The outcome of the Batley investigation is a surrender of liberal principles
As an investigation into the Batley Grammar affair concludes, Stephen Evans says we should recognise the censorious... Read More »
Parents’ religious wishes must not trump children’s safety and education
Every child has been withdrawn from sex education classes at an independent faith school. Megan Manson says the parental... Read More »
The religious threat to global human rights must be taken seriously
UN efforts to challenge violations of human rights should consider both oppressive laws which theocrats uphold in... Read More »
Mandated worship can never be inclusive
Church of England guidance which aims to promote an 'inclusive' form of collective worship in schools misses the point... Read More »
Faith universities are an anachronism
Churches continue to manage and govern several universities in the UK, enabling discrimination and creating tension... Read More »
The drive for ‘religious literacy’ in the media would undermine press freedom
A parliamentary report has called for measures to promote 'religious literacy' in the media - including tighter regulation.... Read More »
The DfE must show leadership when religious hardliners turn on schools
The start of an investigation into the Batley Grammar affair raises questions over the government's willingness to... Read More »
Progress towards inclusive integrated education in NI is still too slow
The last few months have seen mixed successes in efforts, supported by the No More Faith Schools campaign, to move... Read More »
Faith groups have no business inspecting schools
Publicly funded school inspections which enable clerics to exert undue influence should have no place in a modern... Read More »
Regressive religious demands shouldn't hold sway over political decisions
Much of a pre-election letter from Scotland's Catholic bishops highlights the risks of allowing religious dogma to... Read More »
Women Leaving Islam: the rights of those who leave religion must be protected
The film Women Leaving Islam shows the risks facing those who stand up for the fundamental right to leave religion... Read More »
We must find the political will to end discriminatory school admissions
As families in England prepare to find out which primary schools their children will attend, Alastair Lichten says... Read More »
There is nothing new about cartoons which mock religion
Religious leaders have long feared irreverent drawings that could challenge their authority. We should remember that... Read More »
If Scotland wants to uphold children’s rights, its schools need to change
After the Scottish parliament's decision to sign a charter for children's rights into law, Megan Manson says parties... Read More »
Western liberals’ weakness on blasphemy is letting down Muslim dissenters
The hand-wringing in the face of a vicious campaign against a teacher sends a demoralising message to those fighting... Read More »
A lesson in blasphemy
After a teacher was suspended for showing cartoons of Muhammad in class, Stephen Evans says we shouldn't accept a... Read More »
Women in NI should have the same abortion rights as other UK citizens
Other people's religious beliefs shouldn't be allowed to continue to thwart women's access to safe and accessible... Read More »
Ending compulsory worship in schools should be next on the agenda for Wales
Following major curriculum reforms in Wales, Alastair Lichten argues that the Senedd should now turn its attention... Read More »
Any serious counter-extremism strategy should consider religious charities
As a commission calls for action to tackle hateful extremism, Megan Manson says changes in the charity sector –... Read More »
Faith-based school admissions pave the way for sexist and unreasonable demands. It’s time to end them
An adjudicator's ruling has exposed the outrageous requirements a state-funded faith school places on pupils and their... Read More »
Joint campuses are a cop out in efforts to tackle sectarianism
As the Scottish government confirms funding for a new joint campus between a non-denominational school and a Catholic... Read More »
NI’s education review is a golden chance to take a stand for inclusion
Alastair Lichten says a review of education provision in Northern Ireland must be willing to challenge entrenched... Read More »
The evidence against faith schools is overwhelming
A comprehensive new bank of academic research shows how shaky the main arguments for faith schools are, say its authors... Read More »
Ireland's mother and baby homes scandal shows the necessity of separating church and state
The misery which women and children faced for decades highlights the damage that can be done when states leave religious... Read More »
Religious censorship is about ownership
Theocratic demands for censorship in India and Pakistan reflect attempts to grab power which undermine everyone's... Read More »
