MPs briefed on faith schools ahead of Education Bill Second Reading
The British Humanist Association (BHA) has briefed MPs ahead of Wednesday’s second reading of the Education and Inspections Bill. The briefing can be found here
Commenting ahead of the Bill’s second reading, BHA Education Officer Andrew Copson said, ‘We are looking for strong guarantees that faith schools will be required to teach broad and balanced religious education, and not be permitted to discriminate in their employment or admissions. Government also needs to ensure that, when contracting with the providers of academies, the entitlement of children to education that fits them for a plural society, and the other human rights of parents and children are respected.’
The non-religious can be denied employment at faith schools and academies with a religious character; they can be denied admission to their local school; in faith schools, children can be denied access to a broad and balanced religious education. We hope that the rights and interests of the non-religious (they numbered 15% in the 2001 census – three times the minority religions, and are even more prominent amongst younger age groups) will be remembered on Wednesday.
Furthermore, some academies with a religious ethos have been criticised for their super-religious ethos and the teaching of creation – most recently in a channel 4 investigation by Rod Liddle, see more here
In February of this year, the BHA produced a revised report on religion and schools, ‘A Better Way Forward’ which can be read here
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. The British Humanist Association advocates inclusive and accommodating community schools as an alternative to segregating children by parental religion. We support a broad and balanced curriculum, free from ideological slant, as every child’s entitlement.
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 adressed by email to Andrew or by telephone on 020 7079 3584