Collectively we have an obligation to provide children with equal access to education, for that to be as inclusive as possible it needs to be secular. In a world marked by so many divisions it is important we protect our education system as something free from religious prejudice.

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Lloyd Russell-Moyle, Labour MP

I am a political secularist - I believe the State should adopt a level playing field when it comes to religious belief. Even many religious people now recognise that the State funding of religious schools involves giving special privileges to religious communities that are not afforded to the rest of us. This is unjust, anti-democratic, and should stop.

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Stephen Law, Philosopher and author.

I am happy to join the No More Faith Schools campaign. Education must be secular.

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Lord Desai, Economist and Labour politician

I support this campaign. There is too much segregation in life. As we live together so we grow through sharing and understanding not by reinforcing a faith or belief or one set of values. Children from all faith and belief backgrounds should be educated together and allowed to develop their own beliefs independently and within the rich communities in which we all have to live.

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Lord Cashman CBE

I wholeheartedly support the No More Faith Schools campaign. Education should level the playing field despite background and give access to the latest advances in science and human progress and encourage freethought and inquiry whilst religion contradicts and/or discourages all of the above. Children are not extensions of their parents but individuals with human rights. Why must they be divided and segregated based on their parents’ beliefs when no such divisions are acceptable when it comes to parents’ race, sexuality or political opinions. An end to faith schools would mean that we finally see our children as citizens and not as the property of their parents and that we as a society value them more than any faith or belief.

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Maryam Namazie, Human rights campaigner

It is a scandal that people of no faith, or of different faiths, should be compelled to support schools that indoctrinate children into a particular belief system. We should refuse to pay our taxes until the medieval system is revoked!

Ruth, from NORTH LONDON

Attending a faith school means that children and their families are likely to interact and socialise with those of the same religion which makes for a segregated society. If our children to grow up compassionate and understanding of others they need to mix with children and teachers of different backgrounds and religions. Dividing our society into faith groups from a young age is setting a time bomb for the future.

Merilyn, Barnet

My daughter was educated in a Catholic school but is now an atheist. She will be unable to apply for a job in a Catholic school as she will be discriminated against on those grounds, legally!. She only wants to teach music - how can that be legal? Yet I have no choice but to fund the schools who wouldn't employ my daughter on religious grounds. If you want to get rid of Sectarianism in West of Scotland, get rid of ALL faith schools and teach the kids that they are the same.

JB, from GLASGOW

I was brought up in a religious faith but am now an atheist, as is my wife and both our children. However, our children and grandchildren have been obliged to attend strict faith (RC) schools simply because of the lack of an alternative in the area. Whilst many faith schools may be excellent in many ways, they are ultimately divisive of communities: they maintain and propagate religious division which underpins prejudice and bigotry. Religious observance should be a matter of informed choice, not something which is forced on children, and education should promote inclusion and tolerance in order to build a society which is not marred by division and hatred on religious lines.

Ed, from LANCASTER

I was brought up in Catholic schools in Glasgow in the 60’s and 70’s, and just down the road were the ‘Protestant’ schools, as we were taught. All throughout my schooling there were fights between us and we all thought that was just the way it was everywhere! Well, it was in Scotland. And still is, from what I can see. This bigotry was ingrained in us. It wasn't until I left school that I saw how poisonous faith schools were. The state should have nothing to do with promoting such divisions in our society. Faith schools must go!

Terence, from GLASGOW

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Testimonials

Testimonials

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Parent’s perspective: My daughter was turned away from our local school on religious grounds

Posted: Thu, 18 Jun 2020 14:01

My family has been discriminated against on religious grounds – and our four-year-old hasn't been...

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Parent's perspective: My son shouldn't have to feel abnormal because he's not Christian

Posted: Fri, 1 Nov 2019 10:08

My son is struggling to reconcile his lack of religious belief with his school's Christian ethos, says...

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Parent’s perspective: Why should my children have religion imposed on them at a Catholic school?

Posted: Wed, 7 Aug 2019 10:46

I'm worried my children's freedom to make their own choices on religion will be undermined at a local...

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Pupil's perspective: My Catholic school indoctrinated and shamed its pupils

Posted: Thu, 18 Jul 2019 17:03

Our homophobic Catholic school brainwashed young minds into feeling a deep sense of guilt just for being...

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Parent’s perspective: Faith schools push dogma as fact and undermine inclusion

Posted: Thu, 11 Jul 2019 12:56

It's high time for parents to demand an end to religious groups' control of children's education, says...

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Governor’s perspective: How faith schools prioritise religion over education

Posted: Fri, 31 May 2019 11:20

Matthew is the governor at a Church of England school in Cornwall. He says those running the school have...

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Teacher's perspective: Non-Catholics need not apply

Posted: Mon, 15 Apr 2019 14:59

When Rachel applied for a teaching position at a state funded faith school, she found that non-Catholics...

Publicly funded faith schools damage children's education and are undemocratic

Publicly funded faith schools damage children's education and are undemocratic

Posted: Wed, 31 Oct 2018 16:17

Teachers have an obligation to broaden children's minds, says Robert Bradley. While secular education...

Discriminatory faith schools make it harder to find a school place

Discriminatory faith schools make it harder to find a school place

Posted: Wed, 8 Aug 2018 15:27

A parent from Harpenden in Hertfordshire on the difficulty facing non-religious families trying to find...

Teacher’s perspective: the growing evangelism in C of E faith schools

Teacher’s perspective: the growing evangelism in C of E faith schools

Posted: Wed, 13 Jun 2018 10:03

The increasingly assertive religious ethos of Church of England schools undermines the commonly-held...

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