MS letter: End religiosity inspections

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Dear {{name}}, I am writing to draw your attention to a new report from the National Secular Society, calling for an end to Section 45 inspections of state-funded faith schools in Wales. www.secularism.org.uk/religiosity-inspections Families across the country will be familiar with Estyn inspections, which aim to provide an independent assessment of the quality and standards of education in schools and assess whether pupils are achieving as much as they can. However, faith schools face additional inspections to ensure that their collective worship, denominational religious education and overall approach promotes a rigorous and specific religious ethos. I am concerned that these ‘religiosity inspections’ provide an inappropriate mechanism for religious groups to exert control and influence over children and young people’s education. As the testimonies in the report highlight, they encourage school leaders to impose a distinctive religious ethos on schools which often have a mixed intake of pupils from a range of religion or belief backgrounds. I believe school leaders are better placed than religious bodies to decide how the education they provide should be delivered. I hope you will agree with me that these inspections are educationally inappropriate and an improper use of taxpayers’ money. The report recommends the repeal of the legal requirements for faith-based inspections, to create an equal inspection regime for all schools. I would be grateful if you could read the report and let me know whether you support bringing religion’s role in inspecting publicly funded schools to an end. Yours sincerely,

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