The Church of England Board of Education is resisting plans to ensure that all sponsors of new schools are accredited for their ability to maintain educational standards, with legal advisors to the National Society arguing that setting limits on “the power of the Church of England to provide schools…must be a very doubtful legal...
The Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) is a prestigious group of MPs and peers from all parties. In a report published today (http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt200910/jtselect/jtrights/73/73.pdf) it has argued that the rights of teachers and prospective pupils may not be adequately protected by laws on faith schools. On teachers The report argues that faith schools “may...
Manorside Primary School in North London has won a prestigious new award for inclusivity, with runners up being the Anglo-European School in Essex and Balshaw’s Church of England High School in Leyland, Lancashire. The award was presented by Baroness Kishwer Falkner who complimented the school on its values and ethos: “I was impressed by...
It has been a busy week for Accord, with the debate about Sex and Relationships Education taking taking place across the media and in parliament. In the end the amendment that the Accord Coalition and many others objected to – which aimed to allow faith schools to teach Personal, Social, Health and Economic education...
The Accord Coalition has strongly defended its claims that a government u-turn on Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) could lead to homophobia in schools and has parallels with Section 28, and argued that Ed Balls has misunderstood or misrepresented the impact of the amendment. Section 28 undermined Sex and Relationships Education for...
The Accord Coalition has reacted with shock to the news that the government intends to allow religious considerations to trump faith schools’ duty to “promote equality” and “encourage acceptance of diversity” in Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) lessons. Religious considerations will also be allowed to override faith schools’ duties to ensure that...
A feature in the Education Guardian has been published explains some of the background of the Awards and profiles Manorside Primary School in north London, and Crown Hills Community College in Leicestershire. The article by religious affairs correspondent Riazat Butt focuses especially on the way that the schools include non-religious viewpoints in RE: Most...
The Accord Coalition has welcomed David Cameron’s recent comments on the importance of Sex and Relationships Education, and hopes these enlightened views will lead to a change in the Conservative position on the Children, Schools and Families Bill. This week Mr Cameron told gay magazine Attitude that you can prevent a rise in homophobia...
This week peers debated amendments to the Equality Bill that aims to improve the rights of teachers working in faith schools. Speaking for the amendments, Baroness Turner of Camden said: “Why should such requirements be imposed on, for example, physical education or maths teachers when the same rules do not apply to charities or...
Accord Coordinator Alex Kennedy has had an article published on Guardian Comment is Free this week which sets out the arguments for changing the laws on religious discrimination for teachers in faith schools. An extract is below and the full article can be found here. “To be clear, teachers in faith schools that are...
