Our schools are being targeted and exploited by evangelical groups as part of their missionary work.
We help parents challenge these attempts at indoctrination.
The legal obligation on all state schools to provide a daily act of worship provides a foot in the door to organisations with evangelistic intentions.
The ambiguity about the specific aims and purpose of religious education, and its low status in schools, also creates an ideal environment for evangelical groups to exploit.
- In our survey of 300 schools, only 16% of schools had a policy or policies concerning the partisan promotion of religious or political beliefs by external speakers.
- No policies of schools surveyed requires parents to be informed of visitors in advance, and no policies clearly prohibited religious proselytising.
Schools which invite external evangelists may have good intentions, but are often unaware of the group's agenda and unprepared to set appropriate boundaries. Our research has found only a minority of schools have adequate policies in place to ensure inappropriate evangelism doesn't take place. Meanwhile, parents are too often not informed of the visits of the backgrounds of evangelical groups.
External groups can make a valuable educational contribution to schools. With the right boundaries in place, staff and parents can be assured of no inappropriate proselytising.
Take action!
1. Challenge inappropriate evangelism in your school
Is evangelism happening at your school? Read our guide to challenging proselytisation.
2. Write to your MP
Ask your MP to support a code of practice so external groups can contribution to schools without evangelism or proselytization.
3. Share your story
Tell us why you support this campaign, and how you are personally affected by the issue. You can also let us know if you would like assistance with a particular issue.
4. Join us
Become a member of the National Secular Society today! Together, we can separate religion and state for greater freedom and fairness.
Latest updates
Evangelising NHS worker may not launch second appeal, court rules
Posted: Wed, 2 Aug 2017 17:08
An NHS worker who was disciplined for using her position to evangelise will not be allowed to appeal against a decision that she did not face discrimination.
Christian Concern, an advocacy group for Christianity in the UK, has confirmed that Victoria Wasteney's request for permission to launch a second appeal has been rejected. It added that "the legal battle goes on" and called on followers to pray for her.
In June 2013 Wasteney, who worked as the Head of Forensic Occupational Therapy at the East London NHS Trust, was suspended from her position for nine months for gross misconduct. Enya Nawaz, a Muslim woman who worked for her, had accused her of harassment and bullying.
In 2015 she lost a tribunal case where she argued that the suspension was the result of religious discrimination. She lost her first appeal against the decision in 2016.
Her case was backed by the Christian Legal Centre, which provides legal support to Christians in the UK.
The tribunal found that Wasteney had misused her position to try to impose her religious views on a subordinate. Nawaz submitted an eight-page letter which outlined the pressure she was under.
She alleged that Wasteney had asked her to pray and given her a copy of I Dared to Call Him Father, a book about a Muslim woman who converted to Christianity. At one point Wasteney put her hand on Nawaz's knee in prayer and asked God to come to her. The incident allegedly lasted for 10 minutes, and Nawaz said she felt as if she was being groomed.
Other staff also raised concerns about Wasteney's behaviour, particularly after her church, the Christian Revival Church (CRC), began providing a worship service at the Trust.
She asked the users of the church to encourage other people to join the group "to find the love of God" as "homework". The tribunal noted that this was particularly troubling as "service users are vulnerable persons with mental health conditions".
A colleague said her interaction with a patient for whom she had no direct clinical responsibility had troubled nurses on the ward. Wasteney agreed to withdraw from accompanying the patient to church services, but was later seen on the ward asking about his escorting arrangements.
Others said church users were pressurised to dance, sing and clap at the services, and to donate to the CRC rather than to charity. They added that negative views were expressed about other religions at the services and they included the laying on of hands and speaking in tongues.
Wasteney's line manager had agreed to set up the services for a probationary period, on the condition that the services should have a broad appeal.
The tribunal found that "the way in which that worship was conducted gave rise to allegations of improper pressure on staff and service users". It said it was "unsurprised" both that Wasteney had faced disciplinary action and that the church services had been suspended.
Wasteney said she went to court because she believed there had been "some injustice". "This doesn't seem to be as it ought to be in a country where we are supposed to be able to be free with each other," she added.
The National Secular Society, which outlined many of the details of the case two years ago, said Wasteney's case was now "closed".
Stephen Evans, NSS campaigns director, said: "There is clearly a need for healthcare professionals to maintain proper professional boundaries at work. It will be clear to anyone who has read the facts of this case that Victoria Wasteney's behaviour was both unprofessional and unreasonable and that the disciplinary action taken against her by the NHS was justified.
"Again we see Christian lobby groups selectively presenting the evidence to portray Victoria Wasteney as a victim in order to further their false Christian persecution narrative. Unsurprisingly, it didn't stand up in court."
Scripture Union providing courses on abstinence in Isle of Man sex education classes
Posted: Tue, 9 May 2017 09:22
The Isle of Man's education minister has defended allowing an evangelical Christian group to deliver abstinence-based sex education to Year 10 pupils.
Scripture Union (SU), whose goal is to ensure "that all may come to a personal faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, grow in Christian maturity and become both committed church members", was one of the principal groups identified by the NSS in a 2013 report into evangelism in schools.
The group's new headquarters was recently opened by Prince Edward and SU has launched a campaign called 'The 95', aiming to reach the 95% of children and young people who do not attend church. National Director, Tim Hastie-Smith, called it the organisation's "number one priority".
Education Minister Graham Cregeen said "Scripture Union delivers LoveLife, but with no religion in it. He said classes promote "delaying sex and having stable relationships".
Dr Alexander Allinson, a GP who now serves in the Parliament of the Isle of Man, criticised the classes.
"If we are going to effectively combat domestic violence and sexual crime, early comprehensive sex and relationship education for boys and girls is essential.
"This is ideally provided by impartial and non-judgemental teachers," he said, "Rather than schools sometimes relying on faith-based groups based in that same local community, teaching a curriculum that may not be designed by educationalists."
Creegen accepted that students benefitted from having Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) delivered by staff they already know
The National Secular Society Campaigns Officer, Alastair Lichten, said: "External school visitors – including religious groups – can make a valuable contribution to schools. Unfortunately staff often lack the training, experience and support necessary to set appropriate boundaries to avoid inappropriate proselytisation."
Research from the NSS suggests that only around a third of schools have policies on the participation of external groups – and that less than one school in six have policies on the promotion of religious or political beliefs by external groups.
In February, parents raised concerns with the NSS about SU's Lovelife course, which was being run by a local Pentecostal pastor at a school.
Stuart Hartill, chairperson of Isle of Man Freethinkers, told the NSS "It concerns me that evangelical groups like Scripture Union continue to be involved with different scheme with the Isle of Man Education Department, despite problems with each one. For example, Open The Book (a scheme for church volunteers to go into schools and read bible stories to kids) was stopped when some of the kids went home with creationist literature. Until a year or two ago, SU's schemes were mainly confined to luncheon and after-school clubs, with kids attending voluntarily with the consent of parents. The move into teaching what should be secular lifestyle subjects, possibly paid for by the Education Department and seemingly set up by the Religious Education Advisory Committee, which by law has to be chaired by the island's bishop, is a worrying one."
Other schemes include Care For The Family – an organisation which promotes Christian parenting and is linked to the anti-LGBT equality evangelical group CARE – running parenting classes in FE colleges and schools on the island. Mr Hartill, claimed that the links were facilitated by a former Education Minister who is a member of and has family connections to CARE.
Mr Hartill said "The Freethinkers have been fighting such insider deals for over a decade. But it like every step forward is followed by two steps back."
Alastair Lichten said "Concerns over inappropriate evangelism in schools make up a significant part of our casework, but are rarely reported.
"In the last few weeks alone we have advised a number parents who have approached us with concerns. Most common examples include clerics holding proselytising assemblies, but problematic activities vary widely. From visits to a creationist zoo, to year 5 pupils being told how non-believers will burn in hell – illustrated by a pastor leading assembly setting wet (baptised) and dry paper (non-baptised) cups on fire."
The 2001 Isle of Man Education Act provides as in English & Welsh law for the parental right of withdraw from religious activities.
See also: Evangelism in schools – The role of external visitors in publicly funded education
More information
Evangelism In State Schools report (PDF, 493 Kb)Read our 2013 report on the activities of evangelical organisations in state schools.
