The British Humanist Association’s revised report on religion and schools, ‘A Better Way Forward’, calls for an end to the segregation of our children in faith schools.
The full report can be read here.
Supported by a range of evidence from academic research, to government statistics, to the views of prominent authorities on educational issues, the report highlights the most pressing issues surrounding religion and schools, and makes recommendations for the spread of inclusive and accommodating community schools as an alternative to an education system that would segregate children according to their parents’ religion.
The report surveys the history of RE, collective worship, and faith schools, and uses evidence from the last six years to critique and contest the most frequent claims made in favour of faith schools. It goes on to recommend:
– the reform of the law on collective worship, still required even in community schools to be daily and of a broadly Christian nature
– the reforming of RE to become an inclusive, broad, and balanced education in a range of beliefs and values
– for a greater measure of flexibility and accommodation within schools of the diverse needs of children from all backgrounds – religious and non-religious.
All these proposals are designed to lessen demand for religious schools by the minority religions, and further the aim of educating all children together as the best preparation for the shared society they must live in. They also have, as their corollary, the phasing out of all ‘faith’ schools within the state sector.
The core proposals contained in ‘A Better Way Forward’ were first made in 2002 as a response to the expansion of ‘faith’ schools then proposed by the government. Now that religion in education is again emerging as a key issue (See below under ‘Recently in Parliament’ for the views of a range of politicians on faith schools), the BHA hopes that the 2006 revised version, updated to take account of more recent developments, will contribute to the current debate around ‘faith’ schools in particular.
Commenting on the launch of the report, Andrew Copson, education officer for the BHA, said,
“We believe our proposals are the only ones that make sense for the future of education in our increasingly diverse society. To secure a future of stability and social cohesion, children need to learn together in inclusive and accommodating community schools, not be segregated in religious silos.”
Report welcomed by many:
“In a society increasingly beset by differences and the risk of conflict, it is essential that children of all our communities are educated together without sectarian or any other kinds of divisions.”
A C Grayling, professor of applied philosophy, Birkbeck College, London
“Since all capable children should be able to attend any school, RE lessons should confine themselves to the understanding of religions as historical and cultural phenomena. Ethics and behaviour should be taught on the natural basis in human need and well-being that actually supports them.
“The idea that childrens’ educational opportunities, and then the content of what they are taught, should both vary with whichever ‘faith’ their parents claim to profess, is completely abhorrent. The further idea that such divisiveness should be funded out of public revenues is indefensible in a democracy.”
Simon Blackburn, professor of philosophy at the University of Cambridge
“At the heart of education is the idea that pupils should learn to think for themselves. How can faith schools claim to provide a good education when their very nature is to classify children according to the religious beliefs of their parents?”
Richard Norman, professor at the Unit for Enhancement of Learning and Teaching, University of Kent
Recently in Parliament:
From the Commons debate on faith schools , 14/02/06:
“We have already seen what happens: there are divisions, and throughout the country pockets of segregated communities are emerging, whether they are Muslim, Hindu or Sikh. The emergence of faith schools in those communities will create further segregation and further division rather than unifying this country under one banner and the values of the country itself.”
Dr Ashok Kumar MP (Labour)
“There is an inherent inequality in the way that the system works, in that no community school rejects a child on the basis of their religion, yet over-subscribed faith-based schools do reject children on the basis of their parents’ lack of religious belief. The situation can never be equal or fair while that is allowed to continue.”
Dr Evan Harris MP (Liberal Democrat)
“Where could the Government go from here? Where would a reforming Government go? They could oblige all schools, including faith schools, to follow a curriculum of broad and balanced religious education, such as that laid out in the new but non-statutory national framework for religious education.The Government could oblige faith schools to be non-selective, making their intakes truly inclusive, like those of other schools.
Governments could reform the law to remove the requirement on community schools to have a daily act of broadly Christian collective worship, making such schools more welcoming places for families of no faith and of other faiths.Governments could reduce any desire for separate schools on the part of minority faiths by making community schools more inclusive and accommodating, or they could refuse to use taxpayers’ money to subsidise schools from which most local taxpayers’ children were banned on the grounds of religion, just as we already do if they are banned on the grounds of race. We do it for race; we should do it for religion.”
Graham Allen MP (Labour)
From the Lords debate on faith schools , 08/02/06
“one of the gravest mistakes made by the Government in 1997 was to let it be known that they would consider sympathetically state funding for more religious schools. When I was Secretary of State for Education, I had no requests from either the Anglican Church or the Catholic Church for new schools. In fact, several were being closed at the time. I did receive requests from evangelical Christians, from Muslims and from Jews. I turned those requests down.”
Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative, former Education Secretary)
“The existence of faith schools assumes that children are Catholic, Protestant, Jewish or Muslim, not the children of Catholic, Protestant, Jewish or Muslim parents. I believe that this is no more justified than treating children as Labour, Conservative or Liberal Democrat children. In the end, religion, like politics, should be a matter of individual choice, not imposed by indoctrination at a tender age. Of course most children are influenced by their parents, but schools should encourage them to open their minds, and that should be the goal of a liberal education-to prepare children for life in a liberal democracy.”
Lord Taverne (Liberal Democrat)
“It is not surprising that the large number of publicly funded Christian schools has led to members of other faiths demanding public funds for their schools. But the requirements of religious leaders should not override the needs of children for an education that opens windows on a wider world. Culture and beliefs can be transmitted at home. There is often a gulf between the religious segregation wanted by older generations and religious leaders and what young people themselves want. That is what the noble Lord, Lord Ouseley, found when he reported on the situation in Bradford. He found inspiring the desire among young people for better education and more social and cultural inter-reaction. They realised that being taught in religious ghettos is not a good preparation for life in a multicultural society. .Our Government, however, seem committed to faith schools. We can at least ask that the schools should be non-selective, making their intakes more truly inclusive. Could wenot reduce the desire for separate faith schools by making community schools more inclusive and more accommodating?”
Baroness Turner of Camden (Labour)
NOTES
The British Humanist Association represents and supports the non-religious. It is the largest such organisation in the UK campaigning for an end to religious privilege and to discrimination based on religion or belief. In education, this means an end to the expansion of faith schools and for the assimilation of those that currently exist into a system of inclusive and accommodating community schools.
In the years since the 2002 edition of ‘A Better Way Forward’ has been in print, it has proved valuable as a contribution to the various issues surrounding religion and schools – most obviously in the lead up to the 2004 National Framework for RE, which included ‘secular philosophies such as humanism’ for the first time, as part of a broader approach to beliefs and values education.
The supporting evidence for ‘A Better Way Forward’ has been continuously updated for the last five years with an online collection of statistics, reports, and quotes from stakeholders here.
Further enquiries can be addressed to Andrew Copson or by telephone on 020 7079 3585 or 07855 380633