The British Humanist Association (BHA) has today protested to Bill Rammell MP, minister in the Department for Education and Skills, over comments he made calling for ‘a chaplain in every college’.
In a letter addressed to the Minister for Higher Education and Lifelong Learning, the BHA’s Education Officer, Andrew Copson wrote:
‘According to the DfES’ figures, 65% of 12-19 year olds have no religion. These young people’s pastoral and moral needs must be catered for, and if colleges are going to be inclusive of those of non-Christian faiths, they must also be inclusive of those with non-religious beliefs. We do not believe this can be done through a single denominational chaplaincy but nor can it be achieved through a ‘multi-faith’ approach, which is often lazily believed to include everyone, but in fact excludes the non-religious – a large proportion of young people.’
Mr Copson also expressed the BHA’s disappointment at the non-religious not being made a part of the consultation leading up to the remarks:
‘The Government has emphasised in the past that any consultation that includes representatives of religious groups should usually include humanist representatives too. It is a great disappointment that this ideal is not lived up to in practice.’
The BHA also campaigns for equal chaplaincy and pastoral provision for the non-religious in the armed forces , hospitals, and prisons – the lack of such provision was a key feature of the BHA’s submission to the current Equalities Review, chaired by Trevor Phillips. You can read about the BHA’s submission to the Review here .
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For more information or comment contact Andrew Copson by email or on 020 7079 3580.
The BHA is the largest organisation in the UK dedicated to lobbying for the rights of humanists and the non-religious. It has a long history in engaging in dialogue with religious groups over educational issues of mutual interest, for example on the Religious Education Council, and takes part in many other DfES consultations.