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 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

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 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

State-sponsored superstition should have no place in the education of children, who should be left to make up their own minds on the basis of the evidence they see around them. Education should inspire rational thought and display the pleasures of deep understanding; it should not propagate the social poison of divisive dogma.

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Peter Atkins, Writer and former Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford

After a career in education in its many forms, including being CEO of ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate), I have seen how decisive faith schools are. They promote division not understanding and create barriers in communities. Religion is personal and for the home, publicly funded schools should be secular to ensure they are welcoming and open to all - they are funded by the taxpayer. Private schools should be required to provide a balanced approach to all religions, and this should be inspected by Ofsted (not ISI) to ensure compliance. I support, without reservation, the removal of all state funded faith schools for any and all faiths and strict regulation on the teaching of religion in private schools.

Charles, from OXFORD

I believe that whilst, as a society, we have a debt of gratitude to religious bodies for setting up schools hundreds of years ago that those that manage education in the UK today recognise that the UK is now not a religion-based society. Parents should choose a non-religious school wherever they can and if they can't take up that failing their MP. Children should understand that religion in the world is a net negative influence and never ceases to be the source of trouble, discord, and intolerance. Decent people, whilst respecting others' freedom of choice and speech, should now be 'talking down religion' and discouraging its supporters from doing so. Less, not more, religion in the world community is preferable.

William, from EXETER

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

Schools should be inclusive places where children learn new things and mix with kids from other backgrounds. They shouldn't be used as religious recruitment opportunities. Religious indoctrination has no place in schools.

Cathy, from SUTTON

This is such an important campaign as faith schools perpetuate segregation and indoctrination and limit opportunities for those wanting their children to have an education free from religious bias. Allowing education to be controlled by religious groups is the opposite of where we should be heading as a modern, inclusive society. Please keep up the great work in fighting against faith schools.

Nick, from STEVENAGE

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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...

Child at school

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...

No More Faith Schools protest

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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