---
title: "Over 180 high-profile campaigners join forces against new 100% religiously selective schools"
date: "2019-04-14T06:02:49+01:00"
modified: "2019-04-19T16:27:20+01:00"
url: "https://humanists.uk/2019/04/14/over-180-high-profile-campaigners-join-forces-against-new-100-religiously-selective-schools/"
post_id: 74393
categories: ["News"]
---

# Over 180 high-profile campaigners join forces against new 100% religiously selective schools

![](https://i0.wp.com/humanists.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019-04-09-LW-v3-180-campaigners.png?resize=350%2C183&ssl=1)

- Alice Roberts, Stephen Fry, Lord Kenneth Baker, Becky Francis, Revd Richard Harries, and Alf Dubs are among 183 campaigners opposing proposals to open 100% religiously selective schools
- Letter urges Damian Hinds to stop opening segregated religious schools and instead let children from all religions and beliefs mix together in inclusive schools
- Letter organised by Humanists UK and the Accord Coalition comes as Catholic, Church of England, Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu groups apply to open new schools.

A group of high-profile campaigners including politicians, academics, religious leaders, and humanists have urged the Government to ban new state schools which can select 100% of pupils based on their religious beliefs, warning that segregating more pupils by faith would be a disaster for social cohesion.

Humanists UK and the Accord Coalition, which campaign for an inclusive education system with no religious discrimination, have organised the letter to the Secretary of State for Education Damian Hinds in response to the UK Government’s recent launch [of a funding scheme](https://humanists.uk/2018/11/15/new-100-religiously-selective-state-schools-set-to-open-in-england/) for new voluntary aided schools in England. The letter appeared in today’s Sunday Times.

The letter, displayed below, is backed by supporters including Humanists UK President and faith schools campaigner Alice Roberts, Humanists UK patron Stephen Fry, former Secretary of State for Education Lord Kenneth Baker, leading social anthropologist Kate Fox, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, and Neil Kinnock along with directors of groups including the Runnymede Trust, UCL Institute of Education, and British Muslims for Secular Democracy.

It highlights the Government’s ‘extremely concerning’ move to give funding for the first time in over a decade for new schools which can legally select 100% of their pupils on religious grounds.

Catholic, Church of England, Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu groups have already jumped on the new funding offer, with the Department for Education (DfE) last week [publishing details](https://humanists.uk/2019/03/26/catholic-cofe-muslim-jewish-and-hindu-groups-apply-for-new-100-selective-schools/) of 14 proposed voluntary aided faith schools which have applied under the scheme. The DfE is currently considering the proposals.

The letter states: ‘Evidence shows that such schools separate pupils not just along religious but also ethnic and socio-economic lines. This fundamentally threatens social cohesion. Monocultural schools simply cannot reproduce the benefits that come from learning alongside others holding differing beliefs, all day, every day.’

Humanists UK and the Accord Coalition estimate that 16% of mainstream state school places – or 1.2 million in total – are subject to religious selection. This is more than the number of places at private, single-sex, and grammar schools, or places selected by ability or aptitude, combined.

In this context, both groups believe that opening more fully religiously selective schools would be hugely detrimental to various pupils who don’t share their local school’s religion and would struggle to get a place at the school.

**Humanists UK president Alice Roberts said:** ‘If we want cohesion and harmony in our society, we need to bring our children together – not separate and segregate them according to their parents’ religious beliefs or worldviews. And as most people with religious beliefs aren’t pushing for these selective schools – I don’t understand where the drive is coming from. It is such a backwards step.’

**Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson said:** ‘Faith schools separate pupils by religion, ethnicity and family income, which increases social disadvantage and divides communities. The children of non-religious parents are often specifically relegated in admissions policies and are more likely than others to miss out on a school spot than those of religions. But, fundamentally, faith schools force children from different backgrounds to be educated separately which is a disaster when we are trying to create more inclusive, tolerant communities.’

**Revd Stephen Terry, Chair of the Accord Coalition for inclusive education said:** ‘The only positive way forward is to move to an inclusive school system, where children and young people of all different backgrounds and beliefs can learn with and from each other. The Government must abandon its plans for these religiously selective schools and commit to schools that are open to all children irrespective of family background.’

Humanists UK has been [running a campaign](https://humanists.uk/campaigns/vaschools/) urging people to write to their MP to oppose 100% religiously selective voluntary aided schools.

The full letter and signatories is below.

*‘We represent a diverse range of educational, religious, humanist, political, and academic stakeholders from across British society with differing views on the question of faith schools. But we are all in agreement that, whatever their character, state schools should be inclusive, diverse, and integrated not exclusive, monocultural, or segregated.   
  
We are therefore extremely concerned that, despite acknowledging the importance of integration and inclusivity by abandoning a proposal to drop the 50% cap on religious admissions in free schools, the Government has instead decided to provide funding for new voluntary aided schools which will legally be able to select 100% of their pupils on religious grounds. The first applications are being considered at this very moment.  
  
Evidence shows that such schools separate pupils not just along religious but also ethnic and socio-economic lines. This fundamentally threatens social cohesion. Monocultural schools simply cannot reproduce the benefits that come from learning alongside others holding differing beliefs, all day, every day.

*Further, to be approved, the new schools are supposed to demonstrate they will ‘attract applications from all parts of the wider community’. But the requirement that such schools must be attractive to families outside of particular religious communities whilst simultaneously placing those families at the back of the queue for places is patently unfair.  
  
We urge the Government to abandon its plans to create these schools and instead ask that all new schools are inclusive, open, and welcoming to all children irrespective of family background.’*

The letter comes as a newly released report by the social mobility charity, the Sutton Trust, found that [faith schools are the ‘most socially selective’](https://humanists.uk/2019/03/26/new-report-faith-schools-responsible-for-increasing-social-disadvantage/.) schools in England and Wales, and that they increase disadvantage for poorer pupils by under-representing the rates of disadvantage in their catchment areas.

**Signatories:**

1. Professor Alice Roberts, *President, Humanists UK*
2. Andrew Copson, *Chief Executive, Humanists UK*
3. Revd Stephen Terry, *Chair of the Accord Coalition for inclusive education*
4. The Rt Hon. the Lord Baker of Dorking CH, *former Secretary of State for Education*
5. Professor Becky Francis, *Director, UCL Institute of Education*
6. The Rt Revd. the Lord Harries of Pentregarth DD*, former Bishop of Oxford*
7. Lord Alf Dubs
8. Stephen Fry
9. Professor Jim Al-Khalili
10. Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, *journalist, author and Chair of the British Muslims for Secular Democracy*
11. Adèle Anderson
12. Professor Peter Atkins
13. David Baddiel
14. Julian Baggini
15. Baroness Joan Bakewell, *co-chair, All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group*
16. Christina Baron, *member of General Synod (Bath & Wells)*
17. Simon Barrow, *Director, Ekklesia*
18. Dr Richard Bartle
19. Sian Berry AM, *Green London Assembly Member and Co-Leader*
20. Professor Sir Geoffrey Bindman QC (Hon)
21. Piers Bizony
22. Professor Simon Blackburn
23. Dr Susan Blackmore
24. Baroness Tessa Blackstone
25. Professor Sir Colin Blakemore FRS
26. Sir David Blatherwick
27. Sir Tom Blundell
28. Baroness Burt
29. Donald Cameron
30. Professor Colin Campbell
31. Professor Ted Cantle CBE, *Chair of the iCoCo Foundation and national community cohesion and inter-cultural relations expert*
32. Peter Cave
33. The Revd Jeremy Chadd , *Vicar of St Chad, Sunderland*
34. Professor Matthew Clayton
35. Sue Cook
36. Tom Copley AM, *Labour London Assembly Member*
37. Revd Roger Cornish *(United Reformed Church)*
38. Dr Helena Cronin
39. Helen Czerski
40. Sir Richard Dalton
41. Professor Richard Dawkins
42. The Lord Desai
43. Martin Doré, *Chair, Socialist Educational Association*
44. Revd Marie Dove *(Methodist)*
45. Warren Ellis
46. Jonathan Emmett, *children’s author*
47. Dylan Evans
48. Stephen Evans, *Chief Executive Officer of the National Secular Society*
49. Dr Maria Exall, *Chair of the Trades Union Congress LGBT+ Committee*
50. Baroness Shreela Flather DL
51. Kate Fox, *social anthropologist and author*
52. Revd Canon Jane Fraser, *Manager of the education charity Bodysense*
53. Professor Chris French
54. Rt Hon Lord Garel-Jones
55. The Rt Revd David Gillett, *former Bishop of Bolton*
56. Professor Jonathan Glover
57. Rabbi Dr David J Goldberg
58. Sir Francis Graham-Smith
59. Professor A C Grayling, *philosopher and author*
60. Professor David Hand
61. Baroness Angela Harris of Richmond DL
62. Dr Evan Harris, *evidenced-based policy and human rights campaigner*
63. Professor John Harris
64. The Lord Harrison
65. Tony Hawks
66. Dr Alan Haworth
67. Natalie Haynes
68. Savi Hensman, *writer on Christian social ethics and theology*
69. Symon Hill, *Christian author*
70. Ruth Hilton, *Chair, JAT*
71. Dr Theo Hobson, *theologian*
72. Jon Holmes
73. Martin Horwood, *Lib Dem MP for Cheltenham 2005 -15*
74. Rt Hon Dr Kim Howells, f*ormer Education Minister (1997 to 1998 and 2004 to 2005)*
75. Lord Hughes of Woodside
76. Sunny Hundal, *journalist and editor*
77. Dr Julian Huppert
78. Virginia Ironside
79. Dr Michael Irwin
80. Professor M. Saiful Islam
81. Rabbi Dr. Margaret Jacobi
82. Dr Christian Jessen
83. Nigel Jones, *Chair, Lib Dem Education Association, and Methodist Local Preacher*
84. Revd Richard Jones, *Associate Minister, Hereford Diocese*
85. Professor Steve Jones
86. The Lord Judd
87. Dr Omar Khan, Director, *Runnymede Trust*
88. Rt Hon Lord Kinnock of Bedwellty
89. Stephen Kinnock, MP
90. Revd Richard Kirker, *former Chief Executive of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement*
91. The Rt Hon. the Lord Knight of Weymouth, *Minister of State for Schools 2006-2009*
92. Hari Kunzru, *novelist and journalist*
93. Laura Lacole
94. Warren Lakin
95. Paul Lamb
96. Revd Peter Law-Jones (CofE)
97. Revd Cannon Peter Leonard, *Chair of OneBodyOneFaith, and Acting Dean and Canon Chancellor of Portsmouth Cathedral*
98. The Baroness Lister of Burtersett CBE
99. Callum James Littlemore, *Co-Chair of the Young Liberals*
100. Ken Loach
101. Naomi Long MLA, *Leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland*
102. Dr Caroline Lucas MP, *former Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales*
103. Sir Alasdair Macdonald, *Chairperson, New Visions for Education Group*
104. Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate OBE
105. Melian Mansfield, *Chair, Campaign for State Education*
106. Eddie Marsan
107. Professor Andrew Mason
108. Baroness Massey of Darwin
109. Lord Maxton
110. Derek McAuley, *Chief Officer, General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches*
111. Kerry McCarthy MP
112. Revd Iain McDonald *(United Reformed Church)*
113. Ian McEwan, author
114. Tim McGarry
115. Professor Patrick McKeown OBE
116. The Reverend Andrew McMullon *(CofE)*
117. Baroness Meacher
118. Jonathan Meades
119. Loic Menzies, *Chief Executive of the Education and Youth ‘think and action-tank’ LKMco*
120. Fiona Millar, *journalist and education campaigner*
121. Rabia Mirza, Director, *British Muslims for Secular Democracy*
122. Manzoor Moghal, *Chairman, Muslim Forum*
123. Fiyaz Mughal, *Director of Faith Matters*
124. Diane Munday
125. Professor the Baroness Murphy
126. Alan Murray, *All Faiths and None*
127. Issi Nash, *Group Secretary to Rescue Our Schools*
128. Jane Nicklinson
129. Professor Richard Norman
130. Eunan O’Kane
131. Lord O’Neill of Clackmannan
132. Dr Farid Panjwani, *Associate Professor in Religious Education and Director of the Centre for Research and Evaluation in Muslim Education (CREME)*
133. Carl Parsons, *Professor of Social Inclusion Studies, University of Greenwich*
134. Sara Pascoe
135. Christina Patterson
136. Brian Pearce, *former Chair of the Buddhist Council of Wales and Buddhist Chaplain to prisons in Wales*
137. Martin Pendergast, *Centre for the Study of Christianity & Sexuality*
138. Sir Roger Penrose
139. Professor Kate Pickett
140. Chris Price
141. Haras Rafiq, *CEO, Quilliam International*
142. Viscount Ridley
143. Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain MBE, *President of the Accord Coalition for Inclusive Education*
144. The Rt Hon. the Lord Rooker
145. Professor Steven Rose
146. Nick Ross
147. Revd Prof. Christopher Rowland, Dean Ireland’s *Professor of the Exegesis of Holy Scripture Emeritus, University of Oxford*
148. Martin Rowson
149. Michael Rubenstein
150. The Rt Hon Sir Stephen Sedley
151. Ariane Sherine
152. Dr Simon Singh (MBE)
153. Paul Sinha
154. Professor Stephen Smartt
155. Joan Smith
156. Prof. Lord Smith of Clifton*, academic and former Vice Chancellor*
157. The Lord Soley
158. Professor Francesca Stavrakopoulou
159. Revd Tim Stead *(CofE)*
160. John Swallow, *former President of the National Association of Head Teachers*
161. Professor Adam Swift
162. Joy Swift MBE
163. Professor Raymond Tallis
164. Peter Tatchell
165. The Lord Dick Taverne QC
166. Baroness Taylor of Bolton
167. Jamie Theakston
168. Revd Robert Thompson *(CofE)*
169. Baroness Glenys Thornton
170. Sandi Toksvig
171. Carole Tongue
172. Polly Toynbee
173. Anna Turley MP
174. Lord Andrew Turnbull KCB CVO
175. Stephen Volk
176. Revd Prof. Keith Ward, *Christ Church, Oxford*
177. Mike Watson, *Labour Education Spokesperson, House of Lords*
178. Baroness Whitaker
179. Revd Simon Wilson, *Heacham, Norfolk (CofE)*
180. Revd Claire Wilson *(CofE)*
181. Professor Richard Wiseman
182. Lord Wood of Anfield
183. Professor Michael Hand

**NOTES:**

For more information, contact Humanists UK press manager Casey-Ann Seaniger at <casey@humanists.uk> or phone 020 7324 3078.

For more information about our faith schools campaign work, visit <https://humanists.uk/campaigns/current-campaigns/religious-schools/faith-schools/>

At Humanists UK, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. Our work brings non-religious people together to develop their own views, helping people be happier and more fulfilled in the one life we have. Through our ceremonies, education services, and community and campaigning work, we strive to create a fair and equal society for all.