#FaithSchools wake up dozy Britain

Today the Chief Inspector of Schools has issued a warning about the indoctrination of young and impressionable children by religious extremists. It is a chilling warning. Here is the BBC news report :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-42902864

If you do not want to read the report - I have copied below some of the things the inspector has said.

"Ofsted inspectors are increasingly brought into contact with those who want to actively pervert the purpose of education.

"Under the pretext of religious belief, they use education institutions, legal and illegal, to narrow young people's horizons, to isolate and segregate, and in the worst cases to indoctrinate impressionable minds with extremist ideology.

"Freedom of belief in the private sphere is paramount, but in our schools it is our responsibility to tackle those who actively undermine fundamental British values or equalities law."

I do not really have the time to write a blog about it now but I feel compelled to at least say something so I will be succinct and you should do your own research.

• Historically in the UK we have always had Christian "church" schools - particularly C of E schools.
• As we have C of E schools of course we have Roman Catholic schools too. (and to some limited extent Jewish based schools)
• Generally the religious element in these schools has been pretty low key and they comfortably follow the National Curriculum.
• Generally these schools get good academic results which is why they are popular.
• Generally it is accepted they do not get good academic results because of religion but because these schools attract motivated aspirational parents - who will jump through hoops to get their child into the "best" local school available.
• Because academic results have been good (when government are desperate to find ways of driving up academic attainment) - governments have been supportive in allowing state "faith schools" to develop and for new state funded "free" schools to be opened.
• In todays multi cultural Britain it is only right and fair IF you are going to support faith based schools that any faith can back a school. As a result there has been significant growth in Muslim (particularly) and Hindu faith schools. 

While I agree Government should be striving to increase educational attainment it always seemed to me that by allowing schools to select pupils by religion we were building problems for the future - and so it has proved.

1. I believe it is immoral (and potentially dangerous) to allow young malleable innocent minds be indoctrinated by a particular religion. (I believe education offered by and through the state should be wholly secular with religions taught generally as an academic subject - to form the basis for children to make up their own minds about what they believe or not believe when they are old enough to do so.) An understanding and appreciation of other religions is surely essential in a properly integrated multicultural society.
2. On a practical level I cannot see how faith based schools can do anything to contribute to integration of religious groups in society - in fact the polar opposite. They have the clear potential to be isolationist and create suspicion.
3. It is clear there is a particular problems with some Muslim faith schools that have a "fundamentalist" belief that has been so damaging in our society.

What needs to happen now we have allowed this problem to develop.

• I recognise it will be hard to turn the clock back - and faith schools exist.
• I would immediately stop the expansion or opening of any more faith based schools in the state sector by withholding state funding. We have to treat all religions the same.
• I would be vigorous in ensuring (as recommended by the Ofsted Inspectorate) that all faith schools adhere to the teaching of the National Curriculum and core British values. Any school breaching this requirement should be deemed "failing" - placed in special measures and the governors/head challenged/replaced under the supervision of the Ofsted inspectorate. If necessary funding should be withheld or the school closed (as already can happen with failing schools).

It never ceases to amaze me how by being a tolerant and fair society we fail to see that highly motivated unscrupulous people can exploit us. My concern is our overweening political correctness will not allow us to deal with this potentially dangerous and definitely negative development.