RELIGIOUS leaders across the region have backed calls for faith schools to accept a proportion of pupils with different beliefs.
The moves follow calls by the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, who has pointed to faith schools as a force for social good that teach tolerance and respect.
Currently faith schools - which make up one in three schools and receive around 85 per cent of their funds from the taxpayer - can set their own admissions policies.
Although they cannot refuse to admit those of other or no faiths if there are spare places, over-subscribed schools can now insist on proof of baptism or regular attendance at a place of worship.
Dialogue
Now leading religious figures have backed the Archbishop of Canterbury in calling for a new dialogue on how and when children of different faiths should be integrated in schools.
Jan Ainsworth, director of education for the Manchester Diocese of the Church of England, says that although most successful C of E schools already admit children of different faiths, she would like to "start a discussion" with other groups about promoting more open access across religions.
She said: "We want to build strong relationships across the faiths and need to make sure children from different backgrounds get to know each other.
Religion
"Parents from other faiths tend to like Christian schools because religion and faith are woven into the school. No one is trying to convince others to change their faith. Our view is that there should be a place for committed Christians but also for those of other faiths."
Also backing calls for youngsters of different faiths to learn side by side, is Khalid Anis, of the Islamic Society. He said: "I don't think it would be a bad idea at all if faith schools accepted pupils of other religions, perhaps up to a certain percentage.
"A lot of people bandy about the idea that faith schools are responsible for problems, but that is plainly ridiculous. If you look at the riots a few years ago in places like Oldham, if anything those people from faith schools would be the first to uphold the values of citizenship."
And Louis Rapaport, president of the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester, said: "In general as a community we are in favour of faith schools. That doesn't mean we don't see great advantages in integration.
"I personally would be in favour or bringing people together at secondary age. All my grandchildren have gone into the state system at secondary age, but fully confident in their Jewish faith."
'Tolerance'
Education Secretary Ruth Kelly, who is MP for Bolton West, has praised faith schools for their "explicit commitment to promoting inclusion and tolerance".
Faith schools in Manchester have achieved excellent results. The King David School, a Jewish school in Crumpsall, is the best performing state secondary in Manchester, with 98 per cent of students getting five or more GCSEs at grade C or above.
And Trinity CE High School is second (61 per cent), with the Barlow Roman Catholic High School not far behind.
There are currently no state-funded Muslim schools, although there are Islamic schools in the independent sector.
WHAT do you think of the concept of faith schools? Have your say.
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Jen, Manchester (15/03/2006 at 13:09)
Marie, Manchester (15/03/2006 at 15:38)
JN, Lancs (15/03/2006 at 16:28)
Andy, Wythenshawe (15/03/2006 at 17:13)
If parents want their kids to be taught hate and separatism, then they can do it OUTSIDE of a normal school.
Janet Longton, Ardwick, Manchester (15/03/2006 at 19:26)
In our desire to create a multi faith environment are we are not neglecting the fact that Christianity is the founding heritage of the British identity.
Fixit, Middleton (16/03/2006 at 11:40)
Andrew Edmondson, Balcombe, West Sussex (17/03/2006 at 09:37)
There is no choice for most parents but to send their children to a faith school.
Assuming that national statistics apply to our village, over 50% of parents do not believe in a religion.
Do you think our school reflects this in its teaching? Or is its aim to expose as many children as possible to Christianity, against the wishes of the parents?
Of course, no parents in the village would dare to speak out. Would you?
Can you explain how belief in virgin births, miracles, resurrection, life after death, heaven, hell, god etc help to run a primary school?
Can you explain how you teach the bible as fact, when it is so obviously a work of fiction, full of inconsistencies, errors and forgery?
Faith has no place in the running of our schools.
We should certainly teach religion, but in an unbiased manner. We should certainly not teach morality, relationships, lifestyle by way of religion, as is currently done.
Allen Jones, Hertfordshire (17/03/2006 at 16:27)
James Briggs, Radcliffe, Manchester (17/03/2006 at 20:00)
However, Andrew is certainly not obliged to send his Children to that School. He could send them to the state school in the nearest town. After all the government can't be expected to provide a school in every village.
I think that we would certainly notice a turn for the worse if Christians were to pull out of their educational and social apostolates. What contribution are you making to better the lives of your neighbour Andrew?
Marc Draco, Middlesbrough (17/03/2006 at 20:17)
Allan Hayes, Leicester (18/03/2006 at 00:08)
And do we really want half of our (state funded) schools to controlled by religious bodies - one third of them by the Church of England and the Catholic Church?
Martin Henderson, York (18/03/2006 at 10:24)
The children in the minority will always feel they are 'different'. Better for all children to go to secular schools where the issue of their religion is something they can follow at home or outside school time. What we want are good community schools, not towns filled with different religious schools dotted about all over the place.
Helen Percival, Macclesfield (18/03/2006 at 13:16)
The only way we are ever going to achieve a fully integrated multi-ethnic society is to educate children of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds together in entirely secular schools. If parents wish to indoctrinate their children into superstitious beliefs, let them do so at home and leave school time for education.
John Catt, Loughborough (18/03/2006 at 19:04)
We need our children to grow up in an integrated environment mixing with others of other faiths and none.
We should be looking to phase out the existing faith schools.
Annie, Chorlton (19/03/2006 at 12:24)
The option of being humanist, aetheist or agnostic should also be explored, but rarely are. It should be made clear that one does not need to follow a relgion in order to live a good, moral life.
The creeping, insidious infiltration of religion, of all types, into our lives is being pushed by a minority of vocal religous people, including Blair and his kin, against the wishes of the vast majority of non-religious people.
To have "faith schools" is to indoctrinate the young into a belief system when their minds are not yet developed enough to make such choices.
Bob Churchill, Worcester (19/03/2006 at 16:36)
I cannot understand how anyone would think that our state-funded schools should be anything other than entirely religiously and philosophically neutral.
Multi-faith schools are an unworkable fudge. There should be no inculcation into any faith in any state-funded school. It is self-evidently devisive, and an infringement of the child's International Human Right to freedom of and from religion.
Religiously-biassed school of any and all denominations are monstrously unfair on children and necessarily socially divisive.
ben palmer, manchester (19/03/2006 at 18:14)
bravo for decency based schools!
Sean, Sheffield (20/03/2006 at 00:03)
It is all very well saying they will teach other faiths, but this does not alter the fact that many religious teachings often promote intolerance and give a demeaning view of other social groups. Perhaps if the UK government wishes for more tolerance between faiths, it should start at the source of the problem ??" Religious Teachings!
Kevin Murphy, Dublin, Ireland (20/03/2006 at 14:37)
Martin Hughes, Oxford (20/03/2006 at 21:21)
If you say there is a God you are lying, there is absolutely no evidence.
If you say you believe in God then it is not necessarily worthy of passing onto children.
Jane Alexander, London (20/03/2006 at 23:42)
It is time that the religions accepted that those of us who do not subscribe to belief systems that require us to insult our own intelligence can be caring, compassionate, loving and yes - moral, without the need for god(s).
Mike Snell, Birmingham (20/03/2006 at 23:51)
So why do we define children by the religious beliefs of their parents?
Grzegorz Rowczenio, London (21/03/2006 at 09:09)
Shall I be happy that my child is so spiritual or God loving person? No, I am not very unhappy at all. I am in fact extremely disappointed, that the school she goes to, promotes religious dogmas and nonsense rather than science.
I strongly disapprove teachings of any religious dogmas and doctrines in schools which in fact are paid for by the taxpayers.
Education should be completely free from any form of indoctrination, let it be religious or ideological as it is a disgrace that by doing so, we encourage sectarianism, irrationality and in some extreme cases murder in the name of some god, believe or religion.
If we want a better world, we should not pass any religious or ideological prejudices, or fictional stories based on some primitive and cruel ancient scriptures on our children. But what we should do instead, is to encourage
rational thinking, healthy scepticism, science, art and morals based on knowledge, facts and human values.
Tim Jackson, Kent (21/03/2006 at 23:22)
Jason Adams, Manchester (22/03/2006 at 14:40)