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| Call to offer faith class choice | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Head teachers should allow imams, rabbis and priests to offer religious instruction to pupils in all state schools, teachers' leaders have said. | Head teachers should allow imams, rabbis and priests to offer religious instruction to pupils in all state schools, teachers' leaders have said. |
| The National Union of Teachers (NUT) said the move would be a way to reunite divided communities. | The National Union of Teachers (NUT) said the move would be a way to reunite divided communities. |
| The NUT said parents had a right to have specific schooling in their own faith, if that was what they wanted. | The NUT said parents had a right to have specific schooling in their own faith, if that was what they wanted. |
| But the Church of England disagreed, saying: "Religious instruction belongs with the religious institutions." | |
| 'Not about indoctrination' | |
| A Church of England spokesman said: "It is for religions to teach their faith to people; it is for schools to teach about religion. | |
| "Faith schools are not about indoctrinating children in a particular faith." | |
| He added: "Church schools are generally welcomed by parents, which explains why they tend to be over-subscribed." | |
| But the NUT said having children taught at different faith-based schools had led to community breakdown in some areas. | |
| Offering pupils some instruction in their own faith could reduce the demand for faith schools, said NUT General Secretary Steve Sinnott. | Offering pupils some instruction in their own faith could reduce the demand for faith schools, said NUT General Secretary Steve Sinnott. |
| 'Real benefits' | 'Real benefits' |
| It could be devised in response to parental demand and would be provided over and above the religious education already included in the curriculum. | It could be devised in response to parental demand and would be provided over and above the religious education already included in the curriculum. |
| Speaking to reporters at the union's annual conference in Manchester, Mr Sinnott said the post-1960s immigration from Southern Asia meant many more Muslim and Hindu youngsters were growing up in Britain. | |
| He said: "This had led some people to reflect whether the development of faith schools was something which should be supported in a national context." | He said: "This had led some people to reflect whether the development of faith schools was something which should be supported in a national context." |
| The real concern is that youngsters from different backgrounds needed to be educated together, he added. | The real concern is that youngsters from different backgrounds needed to be educated together, he added. |
| This is not something a school should play with, it's not something a school should create as a second tier of responsibility Steve Sinnott, NUT General Secretary | This is not something a school should play with, it's not something a school should create as a second tier of responsibility Steve Sinnott, NUT General Secretary |
| "This is more than simple religious education, it's religious instruction. | "This is more than simple religious education, it's religious instruction. |
| "There would be real benefits to all our communities and to youngsters if we can find a space for parents who are Roman Catholic, parents who are Church of England, parents who are Jewish, parents who are Muslim for them to have space for some religious instruction. | "There would be real benefits to all our communities and to youngsters if we can find a space for parents who are Roman Catholic, parents who are Church of England, parents who are Jewish, parents who are Muslim for them to have space for some religious instruction. |
| "In that way we could keep cohesion within communities." | "In that way we could keep cohesion within communities." |
| Mr Sinnott acknowledged the plan would require a "significant rearrangement" of the curriculum but insisted it was not "unworkable". | Mr Sinnott acknowledged the plan would require a "significant rearrangement" of the curriculum but insisted it was not "unworkable". |
| Consequences | Consequences |
| "What I am saying is not easy with the curriculum demands of all schools. We could have imams coming in or local rabbis or local priests." | "What I am saying is not easy with the curriculum demands of all schools. We could have imams coming in or local rabbis or local priests." |
| He added: "In some circumstances we might meet it by some after-school provision. This is not something a school should play with, it's not something a school should create as a second tier of responsibility." | He added: "In some circumstances we might meet it by some after-school provision. This is not something a school should play with, it's not something a school should create as a second tier of responsibility." |
| "If we did that we could create a drop in support for the initiative in the community," he added. | "If we did that we could create a drop in support for the initiative in the community," he added. |
| He said the consequences of not adopting the measures would be more faith schools and more divisions between youngsters of different backgrounds. | He said the consequences of not adopting the measures would be more faith schools and more divisions between youngsters of different backgrounds. |
| Indoctrination has no place in schools Keith Porteous Wood, National Secular Society | |
| The suggestion comes from a policy document expected to be adopted at the union's conference later on Monday. | |
| But John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "This plan could compound the problem if the people coming into schools were offering extreme views. | |
| "How would you have any control over what was being taught in your school?" | |
| And Keith Porteous Wood, executive director of the National Secular Society, said "indoctrination has no place in schools." | |
| He said: "Schools providing an almost unlimited variety of religious instruction possibilities is divisive and a waste of time that should be better spent on lessons. | |
| No obligation | No obligation |
| "If it is allowed, it will be the zealots who will be imposing their will on everyone else. | |
| "It should be up to parents, if they wish, to indoctrinate their children about religion, but this should not be in our schools." | |
| The NUT's statement also comes as delegates prepare to debate calls for faith schools to be abolished. | |
| Mr Sinnott said abolition was not the NUT's policy, but he did want to see fewer faith schools opening. | |
| He stressed that no pupils would be forced to have any religious instruction. | He stressed that no pupils would be forced to have any religious instruction. |
| Faith schooling is an issue that has divided teachers for some time, with calls for their creation and abolition often debated at teaching union conferences. | Faith schooling is an issue that has divided teachers for some time, with calls for their creation and abolition often debated at teaching union conferences. |
| But ministers are unlikely to accede to demands for them to be scrapped because they are popular with parents - partly because they tend to achieve good results. | But ministers are unlikely to accede to demands for them to be scrapped because they are popular with parents - partly because they tend to achieve good results. |