Consultation Responses
A significant part of our output, which often receives less attention, is our submissions to Government or international bodies' consultations. A selection of these submissions can be found below.
We urged the BBC to treat free expression as a positive value and raised concerns that new guidelines defer excessively to religious sensitivities.
We largely welcomed the guidance under consultation which delivers many of our campaign aims for non-discriminatory, non-stigmatising and age appropriate relationships and sex education.
Unfortunately the guidance is undermined by poorly defined requirements to take account of the religious background of pupils and freedoms for faith schools to teach in accordance with their ethos. Sadly, this will in all likelihood continue to serve in many faith schools as a euphemism for discrimination, stigmatisation, misinformation and censorship.
Our response calls for a balancing of protections for the autonomy of EHE families, the interests of LAs and the rights of children. This relates to our work:
- Challenging abuses of children's rights in the unregistered (illegal) faith school sector.
- Ensuring that children's rights to an education are not undermined on grounds of
religion or belief.
Our response to the government's integration strategy for communities in England welcomes some of the proposals, but expresses concern over others (including the reliance on faith leaders) and disappointment over the the failure to acknowledge the division caused by faith schools.
Consultation on drafts of advice for schools on independent school standards, and policy statement on regulatory and enforcement action, and regulations relating to the provision of information by independent schools.
The NSS outlined its support for the draft advice.
The county council is considering its current policy for the supply of halal meat to schools. The council currently provides both stunned and un-stunned halal meat in a small number of schools, providing this service for school meals where there is the demand for it. The county council is considering the proposal to provide only stunned halal meat to schools.
The NSS responded strongly supporting the proposal to provide only stunned halal meat to schools.
As sex and relationship education becomes compulsory in schools, it's important that all pupils have access to comprehensive, age-appropriate and unbiased information, and that faith schools don't use this to advance their own ethos.
Our response to the Joint Committee on Human Rights, argues for a more consistent approach to universities' statutory duties on freedom of expression.
Our response to the Commission on Religious Education consultation on the interim report, calling for a new national entitlement for RE.
While neutral on the issue of Brexit, we responded to the Joint Committee on Human Rights to ensure fundamental human rights (including those which limit religious discrimination in schools) are protected.