The British Humanist Association has reacted with unease to proposals from the House of Commons Children, Schools and Families Select Committee yesterday to diminish the scope of the National Curriculum yet further.
BHA Director of Education and Public Affairs, Andrew Copson, responded to the proposal. ‘The National Curriculum helps ensure that the education our children are provided is broad and balanced – it represents an entitlement for all children in school and has recently been slimmed down to the extent that it is easily manageable. There is a very real possibility that without the clear guidelines of a national curriculum, some schools of a religious character would take advantage of powers to vary the curriculum to advance their own beliefs outside subjects such as Religious Education and in areas such as Science, Citizenship or History.’
‘There are other areas of our education policy that are in far greater need of reform. This includes ensuring school admission policies do not discriminate based on people’s religion or belief, and ensuring that both religious and non-religious beliefs are taught in an objective and fair way in RE. Reducing the extent of the National Curriculum will reduce the protection that it provides for us all and address none of the most pressing challenges in our education system today.’
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For comment or information, contact Andrew Copson on 020 3675 0959.
The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity representing the interests of the large and growing population of ethically concerned non-religious people living in the UK. It exists to support and represent such people, who seek to live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs