News
Peers back bill to end compulsory worship in non-faith schools
A majority of peers have supported a bill to end the duty on non-faith schools in England to hold daily acts of Christian... Read More »
Culture isn’t an excuse for inaction, says Nazir Afzal in NSS lecture
Culture shouldn't be an excuse for inaction on issues such as forced marriage, honour-based violence and child sexual... Read More »
Catholic school transforms into integrated one for first time in NI
Seaview Primary School reopened as Seaview Integrated Primary School. Read More »
Child abuse inquiry criticises religious groups’ “egregious failings”
There are "egregious failings" in the way various religious organisations have handled child abuse, with a variety... Read More »
Three in 10 families have little choice but a faith school, NSS finds
Three in 10 families in England are left with little choice but a faith school while thousands are forced into faith... Read More »
Schools mustn’t replace worship with secular assemblies, insists minister
A government minister has said schools are not permitted to replace their legal duty to provide religious worship... Read More »
Only one in five marriages in England & Wales was religious in 2018
Religious weddings hit a record low in England and Wales in 2018 as just one in five marriages were conducted as religious... Read More »
Faith schools routinely de-prioritise children in care, report finds
The admissions policies of faith-based state secondary schools in England routinely prioritise children on religious grounds ahead of children who are or have been in care, a report has revealed. Read More »
Nigerian Humanist leader charged over ‘blasphemous’ Facebook posts
The president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria is facing formal charges over Facebook posts which allegedly... Read More »
Religious privilege causing injustice, NSS tells Law Commission
The National Secular Society has argued that religious privilege creates inconsistencies and unfairness in laws on... Read More »
Seven in 10 support normalising integrated education in NI, poll finds
More than seven in 10 people in Northern Ireland support efforts to make integrated education the norm there, a poll has found. Read More »
Government doesn’t know how many children are forced into faith schools
The government has said it has no estimate of how many children are effectively forced into faith schools, or left... Read More »
NSS welcomes moves to protect free speech on communications offences
The National Secular Society has welcomed moves to protect freedom of expression in a Law Commission report on proposed... Read More »
MPs call for home education register to protect children’s rights
A House of Commons committee has called for a register of home educated children in England, along with other measures... Read More »
Proposed advertising rules may fuel religious censorship, NSS warns
The National Secular Society has alerted the bodies which write advertising regulation guidelines that new proposals... Read More »
Faith school slammed for book advocating death for gay people
An independent faith school has failed an inspection after a book calling for gay people to be killed was found in... Read More »
NSS advises Scottish government on strategies to end ‘conversion therapy’
The National Secular Society has called on the Scottish government to ban coercive 'conversion therapy' and tackle... Read More »
NSS welcomes plans to ban ‘virginity testing’
The National Secular Society has welcomed plans to ban 'virginity testing' to protect women and girls from violence... Read More »
Faith school ‘breaching’ equality law over sex segregation, says report
The school inspectorate Ofsted has said an independent faith school "appears to be in breach" of equality law by segregating... Read More »
Bill to speed up integration of education in NI progresses
A bill which would ensure almost all new schools in Northern Ireland are integrated, meaning they would serve children... Read More »
Christian charity faces investigation over promotion of misogyny
England and Wales's charity regulator will investigate a newly-registered Christian charity which has promoted misogynistic... Read More »
Faith school with only white ethnicity options in application form to be investigated
A state-funded faith school in north London will be investigated after the National Secular Society raised concerns... Read More »
Prosecutor Nazir Afzal to address ‘blind spots’ in NSS lecture
The National Secular Society is delighted to announce that the distinguished prosecutor Nazir Afzal will deliver its... Read More »
End bishops’ automatic right to sit in Lords, says peer
The practice of reserving seats for 26 Church of England bishops in the House of Lords is an "absurd constitutional... Read More »
Laws requiring exclusively Christian RE to face court challenge in NI
The High Court in Northern Ireland has granted permission for a legal challenge against laws requiring confessional... Read More »
