BHA: Support grows for reform of faith schools

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has welcomed today’s Runnymede Trust report on faith schools and community cohesion, Right to Divide? The paper was based on research conducted over two years and the BHA was among those consulted.

Right to Divide? concludes that to meet their duty to promote community cohesion faith schools must be reformed to be open to all, value diversity, give children a greater say in how they are educated and do more to serve the disadvantaged. The report also argues that Religious Education should be made a part of the national curriculum.

Andrew Copson, BHA Director of Education, said ‘While the BHA and Runnymede differ on the principle of faith schools, we agree on the need for serious reform in the interests of children and society at large. Since last year, schools have had a legal duty to promote community cohesion, but we doubt that can be done while some are allowed to turn away families who have different beliefs, teach an unbalanced curriculum and employ teachers based on religion. We are glad the Runnymede Trust has also commented on some of these contradictions, and their report should focus government’s attention on issues such as the need for a balanced national curriculum subject about beliefs and values, and the rights of children not to be discriminated against at the hands of state-funded faith schools.’

The British Humanist Association is a founder member of Accord, the coalition of religious and non-religious organisations campaigning for inclusive schools. The Chair of Accord, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, spoke at the launch of the report this morning.

Notes to editors

For more information please contact Andrew Copson: 020 7079 3584 / 07534 248 506 / andrew@humanism.org.uk