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

Lord Desai, Economist and Labour politician
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.

Peter Tatchell, Human rights campaigner
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.

Dan Snow, Historian, broadcaster and television presenter
If we are aiming for an inclusive society, the fewer divisions we can impose on our growing children the better.

Virginia Ironside, Journalist, agony aunt and author
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.

Maryam Namazie, Human rights campaigner
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.
Richard, from BOURNEMOUTH
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.

Professor Paul S. Braterman, Science adviser to Scottish Secular Society
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.
Jackie, from NORTHAMPTON
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.
Zoe, from PRESTON
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.
Jonathan, from BLACKBURN
Testimonials
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...
Parent's perspective: My son shouldn't have to feel abnormal because he's not Christian
Posted: Fri, 01 Nov 2019 10:08
My son is struggling to reconcile his lack of religious belief with his school's Christian ethos, says...
Parent’s perspective: Why should my children have religion imposed on them at a Catholic school?
Posted: Wed, 07 Aug 2019 10:46
I'm worried my children's freedom to make their own choices on religion will be undermined at a local...
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...
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...
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...
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
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
Posted: Wed, 08 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
Posted: Wed, 13 Jun 2018 10:03
The increasingly assertive religious ethos of Church of England schools undermines the commonly-held...