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 almost 100% state-funded can be appointed, disciplined, paid, promoted and dismissed according to their beliefs, with fewer legal protections than would apply to the chief executive of a religious charity or business. If more proof were needed that the law as it stands is rotten, then it is significant that both the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the joint committee on human rights think that it may contravene European law.
The government has made no coherent or principled defence of this situation. It can’t, as one does not exist. Even those most strongly in favour of state-funded faith schools would struggle to justify the extent of discrimination allowed against teachers. The only reason that this shocking anomaly is not being tackled by the bill is fear of a religious lobby that has already placed itself in shrill opposition to equality in other areas.
Yet there is broader lobby that the government would do well to listen to. 72% of people believe that schools should not discriminate by religion in employment and organisations such as the Accord Coalition bring together religious and non-religious people to campaign for reform. For the sake of teachers it is vital that the government listens.”
Accord is supporting a series of amendments put by Baroness Turner of Camden that aim to redress the unfairness of the current law. Although it will not be possible to entirely get rid of discrimination against teachers on grounds of their religion in this Bill, we believe that they should at least be able to expect the same safeguards as those working in other organisations with a religious ethos.We expect the amendments to be debated this week—probably on Wednesday, but perhaps as early as Monday. We hope that peers consider the issues seriously and give the amendments the wide support that they deserve.
admin is technically responsible for this website.
Email this author | All posts by admin
