Children must be taught about Islam, insists Church of England
Parents who have concerns about their children being taught about Islam should be banned from pulling them out of religious education (RE) lessons, according to the Church of England.
Senior Church of England official Derek Holloway said withdrawing children from RE lessons could leave them without the skills required to live in a diverse society and “live well together as adults.”
He also cautioned against “fundamentalist” groups using human rights legislation to keep children from learning about different world views.
“Sadly and dangerously, the right of withdrawal from RE is now being exploited by a range of ‘interest groups’ often using a dubious interpretation of human rights legislation,” Holloway wrote in a post on the CoE’s Facebook page.
Parents are currently entitled to withdraw their children from RE class without having to provide a reason, although Holloway said this right should be repealed as it leaves a gap in pupils’ education.
“This is seemingly because they do not want their children exposed to other faiths and worldviews, in particular Islam,” Holloway told the Press Association.
“Anecdotally, there have also been some cases in different parts of the country of parents with fundamentalist religious beliefs also taking a similar course. This is not confined to any one particular religion or area of the country.” ( rt.com)