Faith schools to open up
Alan Johnson has called on all faith schools to assist in social cohesion
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Wednesday, 18, Oct 2006 12:02
Faith schools in the UK will soon be required to admit at least a quarter of their students from different backgrounds.
Education secretary Alan Johnson is set to give details on new government proposals later today after schools minister Lord Adonis tabled an amendment on the topic in the House of Lords last night.
The peer tabled a change to the education and inspections bill, which Mr Johnson will bring forward to ensure that 25 per cent of places in new faith schools are open to "families of different or no faith where there is a local demand".
"There must be a balance between preserving the special quality of faith schools and building greater community cohesion and understanding between different cultures," Mr Johnson said this morning.
"All the main faiths have already shown their commitment to the principle that children in faith and community schools should be taught about all the major faiths and develop deeper understanding.
"By opening up a proportion of places to children of different faiths where local communities wish this, we will help to create a system where all faith schools play a full part in the education of local children."
Mr Johnson has already welcomed the Church of England's announcement earlier this month that all of its schools would take a quarter of non-Christian pupils.
Britain has about 7,000 faith schools, which represents 30 per cent of the 21,000 state schools in the country.
Of these, all but 48 are associated with major Christian denominations, of which 36 are Jewish schools, eight are Muslim and two are Sikh, as well as one Greek Orthodox and one Seventh Day Adventist school.
The government says that there are two Jewish, three Muslim and two Sikh faith schools due to open.
Yesterday, speaking in his monthly press conference, prime minister Tony Blair accepted that the fact that the amendment would apply only to new schools would inevitably mean its impact would be felt most strongly on Muslim schools.
"We wouldn't be having this debate if it were not to do with people's concerns about integration and separation of Muslims in British society," he acknowledged.
Conservative leader David Cameron told his party's conference earlier this month that he welcomed the Church of England's move to open up its schools and urged other faiths to do the same.