Professor Becky Francis
Professor Becky Francis – Chair of Education and Social Justice at Kings College University and a leading national expert on education and social justice – has joined the Accord Coalition. Professor Francis was previously Director of the Academies Commission, which investigated opportunities and risks associated with academisation, and has researched and written extensively on social identities in education and educational inequalities on these grounds.
Explaining her decision to join Professor Francis said, ‘Social mixing is a proven social good, promoting both mutual understanding and educational attainment, yet faith schools have been shown to work against this. Discrimination on the basis of faith is morally indefensible, and is especially detrimental given the social inequality it supports in practice.’
Chair of the Accord Coalition, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain MBE said ‘Professor Francis has made a powerful contribution to national debate about education and matters of inclusion, empowerment and social justice. Her support further strengthens Accord’s voice and we are delighted to welcome her as a Distinguished Supporter’.
The Professor joins Accord’s list of Distinguish Supporters, who hold differing views on matters of religion and belief and come from varying professional backgrounds. The list includes:
- Professor Al-Khalili OBE, theoretical physicist, author and Science broadcaster
- Lord Baker of Dorking, former Secretary of State for Education
- Professor Ted Cantle CBE, Chair of the Institute of Community Cohesion (iCoCo) Foundation and national expert on inter-cultural relations
- Professor A.C. Grayling, philosopher and author
- Rt Rev Richard Holloway, former Bishop of Edinburgh
- Lord Knight of Weymouth, Minister of State for Schools (2006-2009)
- Fiona Miller, education campaigner
- Philip Pullman, author
- Sir Richard Roberts, Nobel Laureate
- Polly Toynbee, journalist and writer
