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
Australian state bans external religious organisations from running prayer groups in schools
Posted: Thu, 7 Aug 2014 10:42
The Education Department of Victoria has issued a directive clarifying rules on the Australian state's requirements on secular education which could limit the activities of outside religious groups.
The State's 2006 Education and Training Reform Act requires that "education in government schools must be secular and must not promote any particular religious practice, denomination or sect". This allows religious education to be delivered from a general perspective. An exception is allowed for "Special Religious Instruction" (SRI) - provided by churches and other religious groups from a confessional perspective – where attendance is opt-in at the request of the parents.
Access Ministries accredits instructors to deliver SRI in Christianity in Victorian schools and is a key provider itself. A report recently found that the organisation breached its guidelines by handing out a so-called "Biblezine" containing homophobic material.
Concerns prompted Victorian Education Department to issue a directive saying "SRI cannot and does not take the form of prayer groups, youth groups, clubs, information sessions, or workshops…. Principals must not permit material, whether associated with SRI or not, to be distributed or displayed at a Government school if that material has the effect of promoting any particular religious practice, denomination or sect. This includes the distribution of religious texts (eg bibles) by any person or organisation whether accredited SRI providers or not."
The directive makes clear that students praying at lunchtime or engaging in other religious activities does not count as SRI, as it does not contain an element of "instruction". A government spokesperson said the directive only affected religious activities that were run by unaccredited teachers or external groups.
Dan Flynn, the director of the Australian Christian Lobby in Victoria, said the guidelines appeared to prohibit all religious expression in schools.
However, the Fairness in Religions in Schools (FIRIS) campaign group rejected the claim that payer had been banned; "What has been "banned" is the practice of opening schools to "youth pastors" who want to convert children to their religion in our schools", said a spokesperson.
The last year has seen several clashes over church state separation in Australian education at both the federal and state level. In the last budget Prime Minister Tony Abbott attracted widespread criticism for allocating $226 million for school chaplaincy services while cutting spending in other areas and restricting the use of federal funds for secular welfare officers. The Australian High Court later blocked the implementation of the programme.
The National Secular Society's own research into evangelism in schools in the UK can be found here.
Suspect fundraising methods of evangelical church under spotlight again
Posted: Mon, 13 Jan 2014 15:16
The head of the UK fundraising watchdog has demanded a meeting with the British leaders of a Brazil-based evangelical church after an investigation uncovered complaints about its fundraising activities dating back to 2009.
According to an investigation by The Times newspaper, the Fundraising Standards Board is investigating complaints that the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG), conducted street collections in London without a licence.
There have also been "dozens of complaints" to the Charity Commission that UCKG doesn't always make clear when asking for money that it is a church – and has even sometimes used the logos of other charities. There was also a failure to explain what they intended to do with the money.
According to the article, members of the UCKG went house-to-house raising funds at Christmas claiming it was to "keep the church doors open". But accounts filed last month showed that the church has £2.7 million in the bank. Globally it is worth hundreds of millions of pounds – one of the wealthiest evangelical churches in the world.
The Times says the British arm of UCKG has sent hundreds of thousands of pounds to Brazil to help to build an "exact replica" of the biblical temple of Solomon at a cost of £130 million.
The church's founder, Edir Macedo, was cleared of fraud and corruption charges and is thought to be one of Latin America's richest men.
The Times reports that over Christmas fundraisers were found inside branches of Marks & Spencer and Tesco collecting donations or packing bags for money, although both supermarket chains said that the activities contravened their rules.
Tesco issued a statement saying: "We have a long history of working with local charities to fundraise in our stores. In this case, the community voiced strong concerns about the UCKG, so we have removed them from our list of approved groups".
The Times writes: "UCKG was set up by the self-appointed "Bishop" Macedo in 1977 and has expanded rapidly across Europe, Africa and North America. Critics have accused it of preying on the vulnerable by encouraging members living in poverty to donate what little they have and then using the cash to invest in property. The Church insists that it offers solace to the poor and puts forward its outreach work as an example of the good it does".
A previous Times investigation in 2010 highlighted the UCKG's activities in Britain and found that it was encouraging its members into debt in order to donate to the Church.
In 2010, the Church benefited from more than £8 million in taxpayer subsidy through the Gift Aid scheme.
The UCKG confirmed to the paper that it holds an annual fundraising drive in December and said that its members were carefully trained to observe UK laws before going out fundraising.
It said that it obtained permits to raise money, that bag packing was done by agreement with shop managers and that funds were needed to improve its Finsbury Park venue, but declined to comment on reserves held.
Terry Sanderson, President of the National Secular Society, said: "We have seen numerous exposés of this church and its dubious financial activities but the Charity Commission seems reluctant to act, despite all the complaints. It is time that UCKG was made to demonstrate and prove it has public benefit. Otherwise how can taxpayers be sure that their contribution of millions of pounds through Gift Aid is to a bona fide charity and not to a scam? Let us hope that the Fundraising Standards Board has a more robust approach – although it has no teeth and as a self-regulating body few sanctions that would worry the UCKG".
More information
Evangelism In State Schools report (PDF, 493 Kb)Read our 2013 report on the activities of evangelical organisations in state schools.
