School breaks ties with group that hosted Islamic extremists
Posted: Thu, 14 Feb 2019
A school has stopped letting its premises to an Islamic weekend school after the NSS raised concerns over the messages it was promoting. Read More »
Government to crack down on illegal and failing independent schools
Posted: Tue, 12 Feb 2019
The NSS has welcomed government plans to promote integration by legislating against unregistered and failing independent schools. Read More »
Experts: persecuted Christians review should have broader focus
Posted: Mon, 11 Feb 2019
A UN special rapporteur has urged the government to consider religious freedom more broadly as a review focuses on Christian persecution. Read More »
Event to mark 30th anniversary of fatwa against Salman Rushdie
Posted: Fri, 08 Feb 2019
An event to commemorate the women who defended the right to publish The Satanic Verses is to be held in London next Thursday. Read More »
Animal welfare groups ask government to end non-stun slaughter
Posted: Fri, 08 Feb 2019
Animal welfare advocates are urging the government to repeal a legal exemption which allows the religious non-stun slaughter of animals. Read More »
School cancels play about evolution after Christian parents object
Posted: Fri, 08 Feb 2019
A school has cancelled a play about the discovery of evolution amid objections from Christian parents. Read More »
Bishop helps scupper amendment to let CoE allow same-sex marriage
Posted: Thu, 07 Feb 2019
An amendment that would make it easier for the C of E to allow same-sex marriage has been withdrawn amid opposition from a bishop. Read More »
Schools warned as parents refuse to let pupils speak to inspectors
Posted: Thu, 07 Feb 2019
The government has told independent schools inspectors must be able to speak to pupils after a Jewish school received a warning notice. Read More »
NSS: government must push Vatican to cooperate with abuse inquiry
Posted: Tue, 05 Feb 2019
The NSS has urged the prime minister to raise the Catholic Church's failure to cooperate with a child abuse inquiry with the Vatican. Read More »
Isle of Man parents voice concern over RE ‘propaganda’
Posted: Fri, 01 Feb 2019
The National Secular Society has called for improved vetting and standards for religious education resources after parents accused a school of handing religious "propaganda" to pupils. Read More »
NSS: secular democratic values are key to countering extremism
Posted: Thu, 31 Jan 2019
The NSS has said the government should prioritise secularist principles in its attempts to challenge extremism. Read More »
NSS launches podcast series exploring religious freedom
Posted: Wed, 30 Jan 2019
The NSS is releasing a series of podcasts focusing on religious freedom ahead of its Secularism 2019 conference on the subject. Read More »
Pakistani court upholds blasphemy acquittal in death row case
Posted: Tue, 29 Jan 2019
Pakistan's top court has upheld its decision to acquit Asia Bibi, who spent eight years on death row on blasphemy charges. Read More »
Welsh government to put non-religious worldviews on curriculum
Posted: Tue, 29 Jan 2019
Wales's government will include non-religious worldviews in its curriculum and allow non-religious representatives on RE advisory bodies. Read More »
NSS: doctors shouldn’t collude in unnecessary child genital cutting
Posted: Fri, 25 Jan 2019
The NSS has called on the body which registers doctors to "explicitly address" the harm caused by ritual infant genital cutting. Read More »
Religion must not trample on children’s rights, says Ofsted head
Posted: Thu, 24 Jan 2019
The chief inspector of schools in England has told parliament that children's rights should take priority over religious concerns. Read More »
NSS warns home affairs committee against ‘Islamophobia’ definition
Posted: Wed, 23 Jan 2019
The NSS has warned a parliamentary committee against recommending the adoption of a formal definition of 'Islamophobia'. Read More »
Contraceptive guideline partly designed to please pope is dropped
Posted: Tue, 22 Jan 2019
A long-standing clause which was partly designed to gain the pope's approval has been dropped from guidance on the contraceptive pill. Read More »
Council leader silencing debate on schools’ non-stun meat, NSS says
Posted: Thu, 17 Jan 2019
The NSS has criticised a Yorkshire council's leader for "trying to silence" objections to the supply of non-stun halal meat to schools. Read More »
Medical ethicist Brian Earp to speak at Secularism 2019
Posted: Wed, 16 Jan 2019
Cross-disciplinary medical ethicist Dr Brian D. Earp will address the NSS's Secularism 2019 conference on 'reclaiming religious freedom'. Read More »
