Church claims discrimination when it doesn’t get privileges

The Church in Wales is on its high horse because the National Assembly has declined to give it extra privileges in school transport to “faith schools”.

At present, free or subsidised transport to faith schools that are outside the catchment area of a child’s home is at the discretion of the local authority. The Church wanted the National Assembly to make it a mandatory requirement for all of Wales that transport be provided free to “faith schools”. It claimed that when local authorities come under financial pressure, school transport was a prime candidate for cuts.

However, Plaid Cymru Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones denied that transport to religious schools was under threat and said he would issue statutory guidance to local authorities to keep present arrangements in place. The Assembly this week voted to give all primary school pupils free travel if they live two miles or further from the nearest suitable school.

But this was not enough for the Church and its supporters in the Assembly, who made claims that the decision would make “faith schools” the “preserve of the middle classes” and threaten their very existence. Conservative AM Alun Cairns claimed: “This is a plan to undermine such schools – a salami slice approach. They would never have the courage or conviction to close them. But instead they will be happy to see them have empty spaces, to be run down [to] eventual closure through lack of demand.”

He was supported by Liberal Democrat Peter Black who said: “We’re not asking the minister to promote religious education. What we’re asking him to do is to enable choice and to enable parents to make that choice without financial penalty.”

Keith Porteous Wood, executive director of the National Secular Society, said: “The Assembly has made clear that local authorities will be given statutory advice to continue the existing subsidies, but still the Church wants more. It already has more ‘choice’ than anyone else in the education system. It seems that whatever privileges the Church is granted, it’s never enough. Whatever subsidies are available should apply to all schools, not just religious ones.”

3 October 2008