Bad News for Secular Education in the UK

I will now post three articles from Humanists UK that show things aren't progressing in the UK the way secularists might hope. Sometimes it's one step forward and two steps back. Humanists UK and the National Secular Society are fighting to counteract this - please support them:

More religious groups apply to open free schools in England

November 13th, 2018

The government has published a list of the latest wave of ‘free schools’ applying to open in England – and 33 of them are faith schools. Of the 124 schools which have applied to open, 33 (or 27%) have a designated religious character or a ‘religious ethos’. They include Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and Hindu schools. Humanists UK, which campaigns for an inclusive, secular education system with no religious schools, is concerned that the opening of more schools with a religious character will lead to more religious segregation and discrimination. The list of free school proposals is published by the Department for Education following on from a successful Information Tribunal case taken five years ago by Humanists UK, is expected to announce early next year which of the schools have been successful. Free schools are independent state-funded schools which are not controlled by their local authority, meaning they have greater control over how they operate. However, they must limit the number of places they allocate on the basis of religion to 50%. Humanists UK’s new president, Alice Roberts, spoke to The Sunday Times about religious schools last week, saying it was unfair that church-going parents get an advantage over others. Humanists UK also has long standing concerns about the curriculum taught at many such schools. This includes the way these schools are permitted to deliver religious education, the teaching of science, and issues relating to relationships and sex education, including with respect to LGBT pupils and families and with respect to abortion and contraception. Commenting on the latest wave of free school applications, Humanists UK Education Campaigns Manager Ruth Wareham said:

‘Increasing the number of faith schools in the UK will only lead to more segregation and more discrimination at a time when we need to ensure that students from different backgrounds and communities are coming together. ‘Although free schools may only prioritise 50% of their pupils on religious grounds, there is a raft of evidence that shows that religious selection is detrimental both to pupils and society at large. The Department for Education should take a stand and prioritise secular, inclusive classrooms over religious ones.’

New 100% religiously selective state schools set to open in England

November 15th, 2018

A wave of new ‘Voluntary Aided’ faith schools, legally entitled to select 100% of their pupils based on religion, look set to be approved in England as a result of a new funding scheme.

The UK Government has today published guidance for groups wishing to open up new Voluntary Aided (VA) schools in England. Unlike free schools, which have a 50% cap on the number of students they can discriminate against on religious grounds, VA schools are allowed to choose all pupils based on the child or family’s religion. Almost all VA schools are faith schools and the vast majority of any new schools that now open are expected to be Roman Catholic.

Humanists UK, which campaigns for an inclusive education system with no religious discrimination has condemned the move, pointing out that the opening of these schools will inevitably lead to more segregation and discrimination.

VA schools also widely discriminate against the teachers they employ, and can use a religious test in appointing, remunerating and promoting teachers.

Assessment criteria for the new VA proposals include paying due regard to social cohesion and integration, and making the school attractive (and welcoming) to parents and pupils from ‘other or no faith’, but there is no indication of what this means.

In one welcome development, bidders for new schools will have to already own their site, or have access to one free of charge, and will not be approved unless a suitable site has been identified.

Commenting on the government’s announcement, Humanists UK Education Campaigns Manager Ruth Wareham said:

‘It is welcome that the government has set more stringent criteria on the rules around school sites, and we expect this will limit the number of schools opening, but ultimately it is very disappointing that the government is looking to allow more of these 100% religiously selective schools to open. ‘The introduction of more faith schools means more discrimination against families. Either parents can’t get their child a place at the local state school because they are not of the ‘right’ religion, or they would rather send their child to an inclusive school but, due to a lack of other options, have no choice but to place them in a religious school.’

Proposers for the schools must submit their bids by February and approved schools will be announced by the Government in the Spring.

CofE announces continued growth in church services for schools, offsetting falling attendance

November 15th, 2018

The Church of England has seen the number of children attending its churches for acts of worship grow by almost 50 percent over the last four years, in spite of weekly attendance otherwise falling over 10 percent in that same period. Humanists UK has expressed alarm that the church may be using its state schools in an attempt to offset otherwise declining attendance.

The new figures, published in the 2017 Statistics for Mission, show that all ages weekly attendance at Church of England churches (excluding school visits) now stands at 1.3% of the UK population, whereas Sunday attendances stands at 1.1% of the UK population. By comparison the Church runs almost a quarter of English schools.

In fact the Church nowadays has more children in its state schools than it does people of any age attending worship in any given week. And compounding the latest figures is previous Church research that has found that church growth is strongest in areas that have oversubscribed religiously selective schools nearby, suggesting that parents and children have been attending churches in order to gain admittance.

Humanists UK Director of Public Affairs and Policy Richy Thompson commented,

‘With Church of England attendance so low, it becomes increasingly hard to justify the fact that so many state school places are in CofE schools. And if the CofE is looking to use its schools to re-evangelise young people, as these figures might suggest, then that only underlines the inappropriateness of this state of affairs.

‘In recent years the proportion of schools that are religious has only continued to grow. The UK Government must urgently look to reverse this trend.’

Notes:

For further comment or information contact Richy Thompson, Director of Public Affairs and Policy at richy@humanism.org.uk or 020 7324 3072.

Read the latest Church attendance figures: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2018-11/2017StatisticsForMission.pdf

Read more about Humanists UK’s work on religious schools: https://humanism.org.uk/campaigns/schools-and-education/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.