BHA: Church attendance massively boosted by control of state-funded schools

Research published today by the Sutton Trust has reported that 6% of parents nationally and 11% in London attend church regularly in order to get their children into church-controlled schools.

British Humanist Association Chief Executive Andrew Copson commented, 'Nationally, just 6% of people regularly attend church, so parents playing the system are actually constituting a significant proportion of "worshippers".

This must surely be an embarrassment to the churches in question, though it certainly helps explain why they are so desperate to keep control of these state schools. The fact that admission to schools 100% funded by the taxpayer is dependent on religious worship is scandalous and religion needs to cease being an admissions criteria to state schools immediately.'

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For further comment or information, please contact Richy Thompson at richy@humanism.org.uk or on 0781 55 89 636.

Read more about the BHA’s campaigns work on ‘faith’ schools: http://www.humanism.org.uk/campaigns/religion-and-schools/faith-schools