The British Humanist Association, which has campaigned for many years against state-funded religious schools, this evening branded the government u-turn on faith school admissions a great disappointment.
The news that Alan Johnson will not, as he had previously announced, be tabling an amendment giving local authorities powers to encourage faith schools to admit pupils not of the religion of the school. Instead, he has come to a voluntary agreement with the Catholic Church alone (the Church of England had already announced that they would be making this change).
Andrew Copson, education officer at the BHA, said:
“We are disappointed but not surprised that the Government has again retreated in the face of religious pressure. The idea of a 25% quota was already a woefully inadequate response to the problem, but our fear is that this voluntary solution will turn out to be meaningless and that the Government has squandered an opportunity to restore public confidence in their commitment to inclusion in our schools.
“In the many years that the BHA has been advocating the phasing out of state-funded religious schools, it has consistently called for all state-funded schools to be open to all children, no matter what their religious beliefs or those of their parents; for all state-funded schools to teach a broad and balanced curriculum of RE without religious bias; for all state-funded schools to make their teaching posts available to teachers whatever their religious beliefs; and for all state-funded schools to hold inclusive assemblies without religious worship. Only when the Government takes action to ensure this will the growing concerns over religious control of education be put to rest.”
Commenting on the enormous lobbying effort in the media and directly to government that followed Alan Johnson’s original announcement that he would impose a 25% quota on faith schools, Mr Copson said:
“Once again, this shows the enormous influence of religious organisations in education. We, the public at large, who collectively fund these schools, have no control over admissions to the schools we pay for.”
For further comment or information, call BHA education on 07855 380633 or by email.
NOTES
The British Humanist Association represents and supports the non-religious. It is the largest 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.