Our Supporters

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

Faith schools contribute to the fragmentation of our education system and the religious segregation of pupils. This is not conducive to social integration, cohesion and equal opportunities for all. That's why I'm supporting the 'No more faith schools' campaign. I want to see an education system that is free from religious control and that brings together pupils from all backgrounds and beliefs.

In today’s society, it is more important than ever that our children can enjoy a diverse and fair education, and have the chance to learn from each other’s differences. The National Secular Society’s No More Faith Schools campaign is an important step in this direction and provides a platform for those who want an inclusive education to show their support for that.

If we are aiming for an inclusive society, the fewer divisions we can impose on our growing children the better.

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.

I attended a state school so fortunately did not have to go through the violence meted out to my friends who attended the neighbouring Catholic school, not to mention the continual brainwashing. However even at the state school I attended we had to attend a compulsory religious service each day as well as so called 'religious instruction' lessons. When I suggested there was no god, I was disciplined. My children went to a state school which is heavily influenced by the local church, to the extent that religious messages are put on the water fountains! The church pays nothing to the school. I am pleased to say both my children (now adults) are atheists with no prompting from me. Education and religion should be kept apart wherever possible. The new Archbishop of York says he wants to indoctrinate children. This must be stopped.

The Scottish Secular Society strongly supports the NSS "No More Faith Schools" campaign. At a time when social cohesion is a matter of great concern, it is folly to increase the amount of separation between different faith communities by segregating children according to parental affiliation. In many parts of England, faith schools already dominate to the point where parents (and pupils) find themselves with no option other than schools whose religious identities they do not share. It is not the case that the specific ethos of faith schools is universally shared; if it were, they would not need to be labelled as distinct faith schools. In our diverse society, it is an imposition on taxpayers, half of whom do not even identify themselves as members of a religion, to be forced to subsidise the indoctrination of children with beliefs that they do not themselves subscribe to. Finally, problems have already arisen within schools of more than one religion because of the influence of extremist doctrines denying evolution, despite the fact that in England the importance of evolution is recognised in the curriculum from the primary level onwards. For all these reasons, we consider that the further expansion of faith schools will work against intellectual independence and good community relations, contrary to the interests of schoolchildren, and of the wider community of which they are part.

Apart from the selection process which forces parents to accede to a religious ethos, religious indoctrination of the young is just basically wrong. It is also subject to mission creep, especially when weaponised by the politically powerful. Just because some people have an imaginary friend, don’t suppose that I want my children to grow up not only believing in it, but building their paradigm for living based on it.

I am just in the process of selecting a school for my daughter and I'm shocked at how many faith schools there are in this country! It is completely backwards to be dividing children up at the age of 4 based upon their parents’ beliefs. How are we ever going to have an integrated society?! This country is mostly nonreligious now. It makes absolutely no sense. Children should be given the chance to meet people from different religions and cultures and come to their own opinions. We’re meant to be a country of equal opportunities, but it seems if, as a parent, you are not willing to forego your own principles and pretend to be religious then you are denying your children options. The whole thing is a complete farce at best, but it is also creating a new generation of ignorance and division.

I found this campaign because I came looking for it. Last year when looking for a school for my son I was extremely unhappy to find my only options were faith schools. I am not anti-religion, but it has no place at all in schools. My 5-year-old came home last week and told me he had learned about how the earth was made. I was excited to hear how the big bang etc had been presented to such young children. Instead, he informed me it was made by God. His precious educational time has been used to teach him this. This upsets and angers me. By all means teach children about religion and culture, but don't indoctrinate them with any particular faith and keep education fact based.