The principle of integrated education is under attack like never before in this country, as the Government today is announcing plans to remove any limitations on the extent to which new religious schools can discriminate against children by religion.
Until now, a 50% cap on religiously selective admissions had been in place for all new ‘faith’ schools in England – something we had fought for under Labour and had extended under Michael Gove.
But now the Government is pushing for absolute selection by religion, at the behest of lobbying from the Catholic Church and the Office of the Chief Rabbi.
Despite the Government’s rhetoric that this is about ‘choice’, there is clear evidence that ‘faith’ schools in fact worsen social segregation in their local areas and reduce the ability of parents to attend a good local school. In some parts of the country, they make it next to impossible for non-religious parents to send their child to any schools in their local area, often having to travel long distances at great expense during work hours.
The plans are already developed and we don’t have much time to act. We have to be ready to oppose them, to contribute fulsomely to future consultations, and to respond effectively to anything that comes our way in the coming days and weeks. And to do that, we’ll need your help.
To fight off this threat, Humanists UK needs a broader coalition made up all those who believe that children from different backgrounds mixing, playing, and learning together is a good thing; who feel as we do that discriminating against children by their parent’s religion is wrong; and who oppose the corrosive effect of religious schools in our system.
Please, help us be a force for inclusive education and to fight the progress we’ve made on curbing the worst of ‘faith’ school discrimination by emailing your MP. You can also help by joining Humanists UK today. We must pull together to defend a vision of Britain that is pluralistic, open, and non-discriminatory. Thank you.