The BHA has urged the British government to rethink its education reforms as Sweden introduces a tighter regulatory regime for religious ‘free schools’.
Religious ‘free schools’ in Sweden have until the end of this academic year to comply with new regulations stating that lessons must be objective, factual and not contain any religious elements. The legislation also abolishes compulsory religious instruction and worship.
The regulations state that religion can still be studied as a separate subject but other classes, such as science, must not be influenced by religious convictions. The introduction of the legislation in August followed a series of controversies around religious ‘free schools’ in Sweden, including the teaching of creationism.
Per Kornhall, an ex-employee of a school run by a church within the Swedish evangelical Word of Faith movement, told Swedish online magazine The Local today: ‘It seems the more that a religious organisation deviates from a normal religion, the greater the risk is that they will want to set up a free school’.
BHA faith schools and education campaigns officer James Gray said ‘We have continually pointed out that ‘free schools’ would be particularly attractive to fringe religious groups and warned that children will not be adequately protected from religiously distorted teaching.’
‘The Swedish experience demonstrates the huge risk we take when we offer religious groups their own schools, especially when they are unaccountable to local communities. This is an opportunity for the government to learn from Sweden’s mistakes – there is still time to introduce similar safeguards before the first wave of ‘free schools’ opens next year.’
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For further comment or information, contact James Gray on 020 7462 4993 or james@humanists.uk.
Almost half the first wave of 16 ‘free schools’ will be run by religious groups.