Keep the limit on faith school admissions, say leaders

FAITH schools must not be allowed to admit more children on the basis of religion, says a group of lobbyists.

A total of 70 faith leaders, politicians and academics warn in a letter to The Daily Telegraph today that lifting a cap preventing new faith schools admitting more than 50 per cent of children on the basis of religion would be “deleterious to social cohesion and respect”. The signatories, led by Dr Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, and Andrew Copson, the chief executive of Humanists UK, warn that the policy, promised in the Conservative manifesto, “allows schools to label children at the start of their lives with certain beliefs and then divide them up on that basis”.

They stated: “The Government rightly identifies the promotion of mutual understanding and tolerance for those of different religions and beliefs as one of the most important roles for schools. As we are all aware, children are blind to the differences and immune to the prejudices that so often divide society. The duty of the education system… should not be to highlight and entrench such differences.”

The letter was also signed by Caroline Lucas, the co-leader of the Green Party, Prof Richard Dawkins and Baroness Joan Bakewell.

It adds that opinion polls showed that 80 per cent of the public opposed a change in policy. The rule, introduced in 2010, requires oversubscribed, newly-established religious schools to keep at least half of their places open for applicants who are admitted without reference to their faith.

The policy change, announced in November 2016, has not yet been implemented, but last month the new Education Secretary Damien Hinds said he would follow through on the manifesto commitment to abolish the ban.

The Catholic Church opposed the cap, saying it would not establish any new schools as long as it was in place, arguing it goes against the church’s rules to turn away Catholics as it has a duty to educate them.

Last year it urged parents to write to the Government asking it to lift the cap.

The Church of England said the cap did not affect its work. Nigel Genders, its chief education officer, said: “Neither the removal nor the retention of the faith cap will impact on our existing schools or any new ones we open.” ♦ Clergy are resigning from the Church of England rather than face criminal record checks for child abuse, an inquiry into child sexual abuse has heard.

Opening three weeks of hearings, Fiona Scolding, lead counsel, said some priests had resigned on principle and “not because they had perpetrated any crime”. It was said many also had concerns about the Church’s past handling of abuse claims.

SIR – We represent a diverse range of educational, religious, political, academic and other stakeholders from across British society, and our views on the merits or otherwise of faith schools are diverse, too. However, we are all in agreement that our state schools, of whatever character, should be open, inclusive, diverse and integrated – never exclusive, monocultural or segregated.

The Government rightly identifies the promotion of mutual understanding and tolerance for those of different religions and beliefs as one of the most important roles for schools. Children are blind to the differences and immune to the prejudices that so often divide society. The duty of the education system, therefore, should not be to highlight and entrench such differences in the eyes and minds of young people, but to emphasise instead the common values that we all share.

Removing the 50 per cent cap on religious selection at faith-based free schools runs entirely counter to this ambition. It is difficult to bring to mind a more divisive policy, or one more deleterious to social cohesion and respect, than one that allows schools to label children at the start of their lives with certain beliefs and then divide them up on that basis.

The Department for Education is yet to respond formally to its consultation on these proposals – opposed by 80 per cent of the public, including 67 per cent of Catholics and 71 per cent of Christians overall. All the evidence shows categorically that the cap has achieved its stated aim. It is not too late to maintain it.

Andrew Copson

Chief Executive, Humanists UK

Dr Rowan Williams

Rabia Mirza

Director, British Muslims for Secular Democracy

Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain President, Accord Coalition Baroness Joan Bakewell (Lab) Sarah Wollaston MP (Con) Professor Richard Dawkins and 63 others; see telegraph.co.uk