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| Ministers face faith school fight | Ministers face faith school fight |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| The government is facing a battle in the House of Lords after it abandoned plans to make new faith schools take more children from other religions. | The government is facing a battle in the House of Lords after it abandoned plans to make new faith schools take more children from other religions. |
| Education Secretary Alan Johnson said he had dropped the idea after reaching a "voluntary agreement" with churches. | Education Secretary Alan Johnson said he had dropped the idea after reaching a "voluntary agreement" with churches. |
| But his Tory predecessor Lord Baker told the BBC he would table an amendment to the Education Bill next week to reinstate the quotas plan. | But his Tory predecessor Lord Baker told the BBC he would table an amendment to the Education Bill next week to reinstate the quotas plan. |
| He accused ministers of the "fastest U-turn in British political history". | He accused ministers of the "fastest U-turn in British political history". |
| 'Not needed' | 'Not needed' |
| Lord Baker's spokeswoman said the amendment, compelling new state-funded faith schools in England to take up to 25% of pupils from outside the religion, would be tabled on Monday. | Lord Baker's spokeswoman said the amendment, compelling new state-funded faith schools in England to take up to 25% of pupils from outside the religion, would be tabled on Monday. |
| This would be similar to the scheme the government had agreed to but has since decided to scrap, she added. | This would be similar to the scheme the government had agreed to but has since decided to scrap, she added. |
| ENGLAND'S FAITH SCHOOLS Church of England 4,646Roman Catholic 2,041Jewish 37Muslim 9 (expected)Sikh 2 href="/1/hi/uk_politics/6091280.stm" class="">Q&A: Faith school quotas | |
| Earlier, Mr Johnson said he had reached a deal with Catholic Church and the Church of England to "ensure" they would reserve up to a quarter of places in their schools for children of other faiths or of no faith. | Earlier, Mr Johnson said he had reached a deal with Catholic Church and the Church of England to "ensure" they would reserve up to a quarter of places in their schools for children of other faiths or of no faith. |
| He added: "As we now have the support of the two major faith organisations in the country for our proposed way forward, I do not feel the legislative route is necessary or appropriate and no longer propose to lay an amendment to the Education and Inspection Bill." | He added: "As we now have the support of the two major faith organisations in the country for our proposed way forward, I do not feel the legislative route is necessary or appropriate and no longer propose to lay an amendment to the Education and Inspection Bill." |
| Funding | Funding |
| But Lord Baker, who earlier this month dropped his own amendment imposing quotas after ministers had agreed to include similar plans in the bill, was furious. | But Lord Baker, who earlier this month dropped his own amendment imposing quotas after ministers had agreed to include similar plans in the bill, was furious. |
| POLICY CLIMBDOWN? Any requirement to provide non-faith places, where local circumstances make it appropriate and subject to public consultation, would be in addition to the demand for faith places Read Alan Johnson's letter in full (pdf file) Most computers will open PDFs, but you may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download the reader here Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he accused Catholic leaders of using "deception" in their campaign against introducing quotas, by hinting that the plans would be extended to all existing faith schools, not just new ones. | POLICY CLIMBDOWN? Any requirement to provide non-faith places, where local circumstances make it appropriate and subject to public consultation, would be in addition to the demand for faith places Read Alan Johnson's letter in full (pdf file) Most computers will open PDFs, but you may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download the reader here Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he accused Catholic leaders of using "deception" in their campaign against introducing quotas, by hinting that the plans would be extended to all existing faith schools, not just new ones. |
| He said the government "must impose some means of integration" when funding schools. | He said the government "must impose some means of integration" when funding schools. |
| Otherwise there was a danger of creating educational "ghettos", particularly in more than 120 private Muslim schools which he said aspired to enter the state sector. | Otherwise there was a danger of creating educational "ghettos", particularly in more than 120 private Muslim schools which he said aspired to enter the state sector. |
| 'Not sympathetic' | 'Not sympathetic' |
| Vincent Nichols, the Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham, said Mr Johnson understood it was "quite unacceptable to force into a new Catholic school 25% of people who were not particularly sympathetic to that faith". | Vincent Nichols, the Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham, said Mr Johnson understood it was "quite unacceptable to force into a new Catholic school 25% of people who were not particularly sympathetic to that faith". |
| Future schools could now be planned "fully for the Catholic need" and further places could be added "according to local need", he added. | Future schools could now be planned "fully for the Catholic need" and further places could be added "according to local need", he added. |
| But Lord Baker said only two new Catholic schools had been created in the last decade, compared with eight Muslim ones. | But Lord Baker said only two new Catholic schools had been created in the last decade, compared with eight Muslim ones. |
| The latter had not always been inclusive, he added. | The latter had not always been inclusive, he added. |
| However, Mr Johnson said some Muslim schools had indicated they wanted between 20% and 25% of places to be for children from outside the faith - but very few parents wanted to take them up. | However, Mr Johnson said some Muslim schools had indicated they wanted between 20% and 25% of places to be for children from outside the faith - but very few parents wanted to take them up. |
| 'Good position' | 'Good position' |
| Although the voluntary agreement does not affect Muslim schools, the Muslim Council of Britain welcomed it. | Although the voluntary agreement does not affect Muslim schools, the Muslim Council of Britain welcomed it. |
| Education spokesman Tahir Allam said the compromise was "a good position to be in". | Education spokesman Tahir Allam said the compromise was "a good position to be in". |
| Under the government's previous plans, councils could have told new faith schools to take up to 25% of pupils from other religions, or no religion. | Under the government's previous plans, councils could have told new faith schools to take up to 25% of pupils from other religions, or no religion. |
| Parents and other groups could have appealed to the education secretary where they felt the quota imposed was unfair. | Parents and other groups could have appealed to the education secretary where they felt the quota imposed was unfair. |
| 'Dog's dinner' | 'Dog's dinner' |
| Shadow schools minister Nick Gibb welcomed the government's change of policy, saying it was "for schools themselves to decide". | Shadow schools minister Nick Gibb welcomed the government's change of policy, saying it was "for schools themselves to decide". |
| Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Sarah Teather labelled the affair a "dog's dinner". | Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Sarah Teather labelled the affair a "dog's dinner". |
| The National Secular Society argued that the latest development would not make any difference, as it was up to the government to promote community cohesion. | The National Secular Society argued that the latest development would not make any difference, as it was up to the government to promote community cohesion. |
| Meanwhile, a poll for BBC Two's The Daily Politics suggests half of all adults would be unhappy to send their children to a faith school where they were outnumbered by pupils from another religion. | Meanwhile, a poll for BBC Two's The Daily Politics suggests half of all adults would be unhappy to send their children to a faith school where they were outnumbered by pupils from another religion. |
| But 46% of the 1,009 people interviewed by Populus said they would be happy with this arrangement. | But 46% of the 1,009 people interviewed by Populus said they would be happy with this arrangement. |