Accord is a wide coalition of organisations, including religious groups, humanists, trade unions and human rights campaigners. We share a common view on many issues to do with state-funded schools and believe that the current legislation on faith schools in particular is counter-productive.
We campaign to make admissions and recruitment policies in all state-funded schools free from discrimination on grounds of religion or belief.
We want schools to follow an objective, fair and balanced syllabus for education about religious and non-religious beliefs.
We want accountability under a single inspection regime for Religious Education, Personal, Social & Health (PSHE) education and Citizenship.
We believe all schools should provide their pupils with inclusive, inspiring and stimulating assemblies in place of compulsory acts of worship.
A new Parliamentary group has been set up to build cross Party support for policies that help to break down barriers to improved integration and which promote the growth of trust between groups in society.
Accord has updated its collection of personal testimonies and media reports that highlight a wide variety of narrow and discriminatory practices by state funded schools.
The United Nation’s Committee on the Rights of the Child has urged for a range of changes to public policy in the UK to ensure that its schools are made more inclusive.
Accord has urged Catholic education authorities to facilitate debate about admission policies of its schools following a call by a group of Irish Catholic educationalists that Catholic schools in Ireland should reserve 10% of their places for those of other beliefs.
Three schools have been recognised in this year's Accord Inclusivity Award, which recognises those schools that work hardest at trying to promote inclusivity and the growth of mutual understanding in society.