BHA: Voluntary aided ‘faith’ schools to contribute nothing to school rebuilding under new Government scheme
Voluntary Aided ‘faith’ schools will not be required to contribute any money towards refurbishment and reconstruction work carried out under a new Government scheme. The Priority School Building Programme (PSBP), which is the successor to the previous Government’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, will see the usual requirement for Voluntary Aided schools to contribute 10% towards the capital budget of the school (i.e. building and maintenance costs) waived. The British Humanist Association (BHA) has renewed calls for Voluntary Aided schools to have their religiously discriminatory privileges cut back.
Understanding the financial contribution of religious groups towards ‘faith’ schools requires understanding the history of England’s education system. The modern system was first established in 1944 by the Butler Act, which took Church-run schools under the wing of the state and created three categories of school: Community schools (without a religious character), Voluntary Controlled schools (almost always ‘faith’ schools) and Voluntary Aided schools (ditto). Former Church schools fell into the latter two categories:
In Voluntary Controlled schools, which made up 30% of Church schools, the Church would lose control over the religious education and admissions criteria. But they would get to appoint a quarter of the governors, control the collective worship, and could religiously discriminate in appointing up to a fifth of the teachers.
However, in Voluntary Aided schools, which made up the rest, the Church would still appoint most of governors, set the religious instruction and collective worship, could religiously discriminate in appointing all the teachers, and could do likewise in school admissions.
This is still the situation today, with one key difference: the justification for the extra control religious groups got in Voluntary Aided schools was that they would pay 50% of the capital costs towards the school. However, this dropped repeatedly over the following decades: to 25% in 1959; 20% in 1967; 15% in 1974 and 10% in 2001. In 2005, the Labour Government decided that any building work done under BSF would require 0% contribution. In 2010, the Coalition Government allowed Voluntary schools to convert to Academies, which require 0% contribution, and have now similarly decided that any work done to Voluntary Aided schools under PSBP requires 0% contribution.
BHA Faith Schools Campaigner Richy Thompson commented, ‘Ultimately, the BHA does not want to see any state-funded school being religious. If “faith” schools are ultimately to be absorbed into a secular school system, then religious groups should not be expected to fund them. However, in light of this change, it is difficult to see how the vast levels of religious discrimination currently permitted in Voluntary Aided schools can continue to be justified – especially given the historical explanation. It is surely now time for Voluntary Aided schools and Academies to have their rights curtailed, in admissions, employment and Religious Education.’
Notes
For further comment or information, please contact Richy Thompson on 020 7462 4993.
Read more about the BHA’s campaigns work on ‘faith’ schools: http://www.humanism.org.uk/campaigns/religion-and-schools/faith-schools
View the BHA’s table of types of school with a religious character: http://www.humanism.org.uk/_uploads/documents/schools-with-a-religious-character.pdf
The British Humanist Association is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people who seek to live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity. It promotes a secular state and equal treatment in law and policy of everyone, regardless of religion or belief.
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