David Cameron’s Party Conference speech in Manchester today has laid bare major inconsistency in Government policy on education and faith schools. The Prime Minster set out a vision for making Britain less discriminatory and more cohesive, and cited a range of obstacles including segregation, the teaching at some religious supplementary schools, and a lack of action by government authorities in tackling some exclusive practices due to a misguided fear of causing offence.
Chair of the Accord Coalition for Inclusive Education, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, said ‘There is a large mismatch between the Prime Minister’s analysis and Government faith schools policy. If we are serious about boosting integration and the growth of mutual understanding in Britain then we should be ensuring that all state funded schools, including faith schools, teach about the range of religious and non-religious beliefs in society, and that faith schools are no longer able to purposely segregate children by religion and ethnicity through operating religiously discriminatory admission policies.
‘David Cameron is right to stress the importance of making Britain less discriminatory and more cohesive, and to express his determination to achieve these ends. The Government can and should make a major contribution in this area by implementing a consistent approach in schools policy. Discrimination should not be a part of school life, and nor should schools be able to narrow pupils’ horizons.’
As someone brought up and educated in religiously segregated Northern Ireland, it is hard to believe that anyone would want to keep children of differing faiths separated from their peers and neighbours. That way lies madness, violence and bigotry. All power to Accord in helping us correct these misguided policies and lead to a truly tolerant society.