The Accord Coalition has expressed sadness that some of the strongest parliamentary supporters of inclusive schools have lost their seats in the general election. Liberal Democrat Dr Evan Harris was one of those who fought against exemptions for religious schools from the anti-discrimination measures in the Equality Act, and has lobbied for fairer admissions rules. Another Liberal Democrat supporter of inclusive education has been Paul Holmes, who also lost out on getting re-elected in his constituency (Chesterfield) by just a few hundred votes. Paul used his position on the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee to argue against religious discrimination and was himself a teacher before being elected as an MP.
Both contributed towards the discussions that led the Lib Dems to call for significant reform of the way that faith schools operate in their election manifesto this year. Whatever the outcome of the current negotiations between the parties on forming a government, Accord will continue to argue for schools that welcome children from all backgrounds and of all beliefs.
We look forward to continuing to work with the many parliamentarians who remain committed to the goal of more inclusive schools and also to getting in touch with all of those new MPs who share our aims.
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