Religious proselytisers move into academy school

An organisation that lends out resources for religious education and provides training for religious education teachers has moved into the Oasis Academy in Shirley Park, Croydon.

The Croydon Faith Education Resources has moved its operations into the school with the blessing of Croydon's education director and Councillor Vidi Mohan who is cabinet secretary for the Big Society.

The religious library has been operating in Croydon for over 20 years, sometimes with the financial support of Croydon Council.

Library resources manager Fauzia Ali said: "After much hard work and support from Croydon Council and the faith communities of Croydon, we have been relocated to a very suitable new premises."

The Oasis Academy– a taxpayer-funded school operated by Rev Steve Chalke – is part of a raft of academy schools that are now promoting religion above everything else in the school.

Keith Porteous Wood, Executive Director of the National Secular Society, said: "When were we asked whether we wanted our taxes — paid, we thought, to educate our children — to be doled out to religious groups on an evangelising mission? It is utterly outrageous that education funds are being used not only for blatant religious promotion like this, but increasingly to pay the wages of clergymen or chaplains to work in the schools."

See also: Australian parents seek to end religious education