Passion Islam I June 2009 LOCAL & NATIONAL NEWS I 3
Multi-faith call to end religious
discrimination in schooling
Members of a range of religious newspaper. Faith and church school providers
traditions - Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, It appears in association with the have argued that they should have
Hindu and Muslim - have issued a Accord Coalition which was launched a right to select on grounds of
joint public call to end religion-based in September 2008 to push for a new belief in relation to employment and
discrimination on admissions and debate on faith schools - one based admissions because of the religious
employment in Britain’s schools. on practical reform rather than the character of their schools.
The signatories, who But critics say that discrimination
come from nine different goes against the faith values
faith groups, point out that they proclaim, is unnecessary to
the ability of faith schools promoting a distinctive ethos, has
to exclude pupils and staff been shown to be needless in
of the “wrong religion”, as many such schools and ignores
currently enshrined in law, the needs and rights of the
is both religiously offensive general public - given that these
and contrary to human schools are overwhelmingly (and
rights. in some cases entirely) funded by
However, after lobbying the taxpayer.
from interest groups, Public opinion research has
including the Church of showed that the majority of the
England, this discrimination currently pro- and anti- polarisation. population oppose discrimination and
remains enshrined in the Equality Bill The signatories to the letter include religious segregation in schooling.
coming before parliament. an Anglican priest and ecumenical Independent research, including
The call for change, which tutor, a Jewish Rabbi, clergy from recent studies from the Runnymede
the authors stress is a deeply felt the United Reformed and Methodist Trust and University of London
conviction rooted in their faith, comes churches, a Quaker, a Unitarian, a colleges, has confirmed concerns
in a
170309_148x210_Natrate_Passion IPage 1 17/03/2009 15:07:31
letter published in The Times Buddhist, a Hindu and a Muslim. about these issues.
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