Government hands over school system to clerics
But there were immediate warnings that setting up new "faith schools" could backfire by increasing religious tensions. The National Secular Society said the proposals would increase segregation and called them "plain madness". And a Muslim leader admitted the biggest obstacle to the opening of new Islamic state schools was public fears that they would "produce fundamentalists". Mr Balls said the schools could be a "force for improving community relations" and warned that minority religions currently did not have enough free sectarian school places. The schools do not have to admit pupils of other religions if they are over-subscribed, and even if they are not, it is difficult to imagine more than a token attendance by those of other religions and none. They can follow their own curriculum for RE lessons. The Government argues that bringing private minority faith schools into the state system would give Ministers greater control over establishments that currently operate with little supervision. A third of England's 21,000 state schools are already sectarian in nature, but the vast majority are Anglican or Catholic. There are 37 Jewish, seven Muslim, two Sikh, one Greek Orthodox and one Seventh Day Adventist. A Hindu school is due to open next year. Nearly 15,000 Muslim pupils and 11,000 Jewish ones are currently taught in private religious schools. Concerns have been raised that some private Islamic schools are failing to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. David Bell, when he was head of Ofsted, the schools inspection organisation, suggested some "faith schools" posed a threat to social cohesion. An Ofsted report on an independent Muslim school in Dewsbury found pupils were "not allowed to read newspapers or listen to radio or television programmes". Two Muslim schools in Scotland have been closed down because of inadequate standards. And in April the Commission for Racial Equality said the UK was in danger of becoming a "mini America", with schools separated along religious and ethnic lines. It said Britain's segregated schools were a "ticking time-bomb waiting to explode". Ministers have placed a duty on all state schools – including religious schools – to explicitly promote harmonious community relations, but that 'duty' is only voluntary. And they are encouraging faith groups to form alliances with other religions and run state schools together. They also say that new academy schools sponsored by faith groups should set aside half of places for pupils of different denominations or none. Mr Balls' plan to make it easier for faith groups to set up state schools is outlined in a document published this week and it is, unsurprisingly, backed by those with most to gain – the leaders of the main religious sects (indeed, no-one else – particularly the non-religious – were consulted during the compiling of the report). It says the Government will "remove unnecessary barriers to the creation of new faith schools" of any denomination. Private faith schools would be offered cash to modernise and expand under the Government's £45billion school rebuilding programme. Mr Balls said the programme would allow communities to take a "long term view". "There are 115 or 116 independent Muslim schools and seven maintained Muslim schools. All of those seven have transferred into the maintained sector from the independent sector," he said. "It should only happen if in the broadest sense the local community wants it. Where that is what the local community wants, it will provide the capital to make that possible."
NSS September 2007 |