Following the humiliating government climb-down over admissions
quotas to “faith schools”, the churches have now been
granted even more power over who can and cannot go to state-sponsored
religious schools.
In a letter explaining the proposed addition to the new schools admissions code, Education Secretary Alan Johnson wrote: “The governing body of a new foundation or voluntary aided school with a religious character must obtain the consent of the relevant faith body before setting admission arrangements that give priority to children of other faiths.” In other words, the governors of a “faith school” cannot admit children from other religions unless the church gives the say-so.
The Catholic Education Service said it welcomed the changes, which would apply to any “faith school” opening from November. A spokesperson said that the new powers had not been sought but had been granted by the government. She said it was right that diocesan authorities should control the admissions procedures to publicly-funded schools and be able to over-ride any attempts to make them more inclusive.
Keith Porteous Wood, Executive Director of the National Secular Society, said: “This will frustrate attempts by individual faith schools to make their admissions more comprehensive. The churches like to give the impression that they are open and inclusive, but these measures will achieve the exact opposite. We have made our opposition clear in a submission to a government consultation on the matter.”
NSS December 2006