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News, Blogs & Opinion
Government complicit in redaction of exam questionsNews | Sat, 1st Mar 2014 The National Secular Society has discovered that exam boards, the exam regulator and the government have been colluding with faith schools to to shield pupils from key scientific concepts. A freedom of information request revealed that the redaction of exam questions on science papers deemed incompatible with a school's religious character is being condoned on grounds of religious sensitivity. In October 2013 the NSS revealed that questions had been redacted on exam papers by teachers at Yesodey Hatorah Jewish Voluntary Aided girls' secondary school. After raising the matter with the Department for Education (DfE), the NSS was informed by education minister Elizabeth Truss that a "proportionate and reasonable response" had been agreed with the school. The freedom of information response reveals that faith schools will still be permitted to redact questions they don't approve of as long as this is done in collaboration with the exam board. Setting out the response to the uncovering of exam malpractice, OCR wrote to the exam regulator Ofqual, stating: "In our deliberations we have reached the conclusion the most proportionate and reasonable approach would be to come to an agreement with the centres concerned which will protect the future integrity of our examinations – by stipulating how, when and where the redactions take place – but at the same time respect their need to do this in view of their religious beliefs. We believe we need to be mindful of the fact that if we do not come to an agreement with the centres we could be seen as creating a barrier to accessing the examinations for the candidates." The correspondence reveals that the school was under the impression that, prior to the NSS raising it as an issue, the practice of redaction was something that OCR and other exam boards were aware of and accepting of. OCR acknowledges in its correspondence that the issue has "significantly wider implications and could apply to other faith schools." In correspondence contained within the FOI response it is clear that neither OCR nor Ofqual regarded the malpractice at Yesodey Hatorah an isolated incident. In a letter to the NSS, education minister Elizabeth Truss, said: "I can confirm that, like all other maintained schools, Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls High School will be required to teach the new science curriculum in full from its introduction in September 2014. The Department will be seeking appropriate assurance from the school that this will take place." Stephen Evans, National Secular Society campaigns manager, said: "Given the Government's laissez-faire approach to the redaction of questions on science exam papers we have no confidence that the DfE will ensure the new science curriculum will be taught in full by all schools. "The pressure from schools for redaction demonstrates that religious precepts are strongly influencing science classes in some minority faith schools. "The censoring of key scientific concepts from science lessons and exams by religious organisations pursuing their own religious agenda compromises children's education. It also reveals a lack of concern from the Government over minority faith schools not preparing pupils for life in wide British society." Lord Avebury, the Lib Dem peer, has put down parliamentary questions asking the Government for details of the redactions and what representations it has made to the Children's Commissioner regarding the right of pupils to see all questions in any public examination they are taking. | |
Leading vet calls for an end to religious slaughterNews | Thu, 6th Mar 2014 A leading vet has said the religious slaughter of animals should be banned, unless Muslims and Jews can voluntarily adopt more humane methods of killing. John Blackwell, president-elect of the British Veterinary Association (BVA), told The Times that the traditional practice of slitting animals' throats and allowing them to bleed to death for halal and kosher meat caused unnecessary suffering. Mr Blackwell said: "As veterinary surgeons, it is one of the most important issues on our radar. This is something that can be changed in an instant." He said that he respected religious beliefs but "the Danish unilateral banning [was done] purely for animal welfare reasons, which is right". National and European animal welfare legislation requires all animals to be stunned before slaughter in order to minimise suffering. The only exemption is for religious communities to meet Jewish and Muslim religious requirements. British Muslim political and social commentator, Mo Ansar, took to Twitter to argue that, rather than being concerned with animal welfare, advocates of humane slaughter were motivated by "anti-theism and anti-Muslim prejudice." He said, "the attack on ritual slaughter is yet another being fuelled by prejudice and ignorance." His views echoed an editorial in The Times, which said it was "too soon" to insist that animal welfare should trump religious freedom. According to The Times:
However, The Times editorial also said defenders of religious slaughter should "be ready to give ground as our collective wisdom grows."
A majority of British Muslims accept electrical pre-stunning and Food Standards Agency figures from 2012 show that more than 80% of animals are stunned before slaughter for Halal meat in the UK. The practice is not accepted under strict Jewish traditions and animals slaughtered for Kosher meat are never stunned before slaughter. The slaughter of animals without pre-stunning is permitted in the UK despite a recommendation by the Government's own advisory body, the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC), that the practice should be banned. In addition to the BVA, the exemption that permits slaughter without pre-stunning is opposed by the RSPCA, Compassion in World Farming and the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe, amongst others. The European Union's Scientific Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) have said: "Due to the serious animal welfare concerns associated with slaughter without stunning, pre-cut stunning should always be performed." Stephen Evans, campaigns manager at the National Secular Society, commented. "The scientific consensus appears clear that it is more humane to stun an animal prior to slaughter than not to do so. It is therefore both reasonable and appropriate to suggest that, unless religious communities can agree on more humane slaughter methods, their right to religious freedom should, in this instance, be limited in the interests of animal welfare. "The unreasonable position in this debate that animal welfare should be compromised by the accommodation of rigid and fixed religious doctrines in UK law." | |
Faith schools: whose education is it anyway?Opinion | Thu, 6th Mar 2014 Education policy and practice should focus more on children's independent interests and building a shared society rather than pandering to religious groups motivated by self-preservation, argues NSS campaigns manager, Stephen Evans. According to a comprehensive new study undertaken by the Church of England to discover the factors related to spiritual and numerical church growth, our 'National Church' is in decline because generations of church goers are not being replaced. The Church knows that if people don't start going to church as children they're never likely to go at all. It's not hard to see why the Church of England puts schools at the very centre of its mission. Unsurprisingly, the study found (pdf) that being connected with an over-subscribed faith school was helpful for church growth. This is of course down to the well-established phenomenon of middle-class parents attending church in order to secure a place at their local religiously selective church school. As the maxim goes, "on your knees - avoid the fees". Interestingly, the report found (pdf) that Anglican parents aren't passing on religion to their children. When presented with a list of 11 items, which parents might want to pass on to their children, just 11% of Anglicans ticked 'religious belief'. It is often said that faith schools are popular with parents. Good results courtesy of selective admissions may be appealing to parents, but if Christian parents regarded religion as particularly important, would they not be a little more keen to pass it on to their children? This finding appears to suggest that demand for faith-based schools (or at least Church of England schools) is generated more by religious organisations than parents themselves. This was certainly the case in Suffolk last year where the National Secular Societysuccessfully challenged the planned conversion of a community school to a Church of England school on the basis that there was simply no need or parental demand for it. With the local vicar on the school's board of governors, it had all the hallmarks of an 'inside job'. Approximately one million of the nation's children attend church schools. The Church knows that this is the most effective way, if not only way, for the Church to appear relevant to children and their families. Put simply, church schools, paid for by the state, are vital to the Church of England's survival, certainly as the established Church. The question is, to what extent should the state, through our education system, assist the Church in its mission? At present, it assists it greatly. The Church has its own schools funded by state. It enjoys exemptions from equality law in order to maintain the 'ethos' of its schools. There's a hopelessly antiquated legal requirement for (broadly Christian) daily worship in all schools. The Church also has a grip on religious education that prevents it from becoming the objective study of religion, belief and ethics that it should be. The increasing number of academies and free schools will give the Church even more control over publicly funded education than ever before. The Church of England, as with any religious organisation, should of course be free to missionize however it wants, in so far as it doesn't disproportionately impinge on the rights of others. But by allowing religious organisations to run schools, that is precisely what is happening. Non-churchgoers are discriminated against in admissions to state schools. Teachers are blocked from jobs for not sharing the faith. Young people's right to religious freedom is not being respected in schools. Parents' rights to raise their children in accordance with their own beliefs are being compromised by the imposition of religion in their local schools. We're told the existence of faith schools creates a 'diversity of provision' that offers 'greater opportunity for parental choice'. But for the non-religious, and those not of the dominant Christian faith, the exact opposite is often true. Of course, other religious groups have now recognised that having their own schools is the best way to generate their next generation of believers. Take the Gatton Primary School in Tooting which aims to help its pupils to "develop a love for Allah", or the Madani School in Leicester which aims to "help learners to become confident in their identity as British Muslims with an enduring desire to perform their religious duties." Avanti Hindu schools promise spiritual insight will be achieved through "the singing of the names of the divine, with special (but not exclusive) focus on Krishna." Pupils at the state funded Yesoday Hatorah Jewish school are even being kept in the dark about key scientific concepts such as human biology and evolution by zealous teachers who use marker pens to black out questions on science examination papers, denying pupils the right to answer them (at the same time denying them marks) - and all with the government's approval. By being strictly neutral on religion, schools can ensure their educational provision does not run counter to the religious and philosophical beliefs of parents, and that children from all religion and belief backgrounds are equally welcomed into a shared school environment. However difficult it may be, the time has come for politicians to start questioning the accepted protocol that governments must acquiesce to demands from religious communities for the state to accommodate and fund their religious schools. The marketisation of our school system, which rushes to satisfy demands for religious schools, neglects the civic purpose of state education - which should include preparing children for their role as equal citizens of a multicultural, religiously diverse liberal democracy, and encouraging the development of children's autonomy. However outward looking these schools claim to be, or sometimes aspire to be, you can't escape the fact that they promote segregation along religious and ethnic lines - something which has so often been the root cause of societal enmity and violence. Its advocacy of faith schools involves the state actively encouraging self-segregation. This is one of the most misguided and pernicious policies of successive governments - apparently still supported by virtually all MPs from all major political parties. Our elected representatives, either deferential (or perhaps reverential) to religion, or fearful to say anything that might in any way upset local faith leaders, are neglecting to properly consider whether young people's best interests are really served by having a religious affiliation imposed upon them in the classroom. As a society, we need to consider whether religious inculcation is something public funds should be provided for. Let's be clear. There's nothing discriminatory or 'anti-religious' about advocating an inclusive secular education system. All religions and beliefs should be treated even-handedly. No school wishing to promote a specifically religious or atheistic ethos would qualify for state funding. All publicly funded schools would be equally welcoming to all children, regardless of their religious and philosophical backgrounds. The objective study of religious and non-religious beliefs and philosophies would form part of the curriculum. And of course, the many teachers motivated by their faith to educate and inspire young people would be equally welcome to do so. It's just that they wouldn't be permitted to use their position to push their religious beliefs on pupils. It's time education policy and practice focussed more on children's independent interests and building a shared society rather than pandering to religious groups motivated by their insecure need for self-preservation. This article was first published at Huffington Post. | |
Plans by Islamist extremists to take over state schools exposedNews | Mon, 3rd Mar 2014 The Sunday Times this week reported an alleged plot by Islamist fundamentalists in Birmingham to take over state schools and use them as centres of "Islamic education." The supposed conspiracy is under investigation by Birmingham City Council, while the Sunday Times has obtained a copy of anonymous documents that detail a strategy to destabilise poorly-performing schools before moving in to transform them into academies and free schools with an Islamic ethos. It is not known whether the council is aware of who has written the documents, but the Sunday Times speculates that they are the work of "disaffected parents" belonging to the Salafist branch of Islam, regarded by many as the most extreme and fundamentalist. The Sunday Times has already revealed that Park View Academy in Birmingham is being investigated by the Department for Education for allegedly side-lining non-Muslim staff and trying to teach Islamic studies, despite not being a "faith-based" school. The paper reports that the documents it has uncovered suggest that the strategy, called Operation Trojan Horse, should be used in Bradford and Manchester as well as Birmingham. The authors of the strategy argue "We have an obligation to our children to fulfill our roles and ensure these schools are run on Islamic principles." The Sunday Times reports that they strategy's first step is to:
Birmingham schools named as targets in the document include Regents Park, where the head teacher resigned last year over questions about exam results (despite being given an "outstanding" Ofsted report). Others are Adderley Primary School and Saltley School, a specialist science college where the head, Balwant Bains, resigned last year. Bains quit after an Ofsted report concluded that he had a "dysfunctional" relationship with the governors. Ahson Mohammed, the interim head teacher at Saltley, was appointed in November after Bains's resignation. The Sunday Times says Mohammed categorically denied any suggestion that Bains resigned as a result of pressure from Muslim extremists. Mohammed said the school has been closely monitored since Bains's departure. "We have been under extensive scrutiny, both by Ofsted [and] by the local authority ... where we are now is the school is stabilised, the school is functioning and has been named as being one of the top 100 [most improved] schools in the UK." Birmingham City Council is said to be "investigating allegations" and has passed information to West Midlands Police who are keeping the matter under review but not actively investigating. Meanwhile, writing in the Daily Telegraph, Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, says that the children of extremist Muslim parents are in danger of becoming radicalised. He asserts this is a form of child abuse and that the social services should have the power to take such children into care. He says that as a society we have become "squeamish" about intervening in the cultural norms of other communities, even when they are antisocial or dangerous. "We need to be less phobic of intrusion into the ways of minority groups and less nervous of passing judgment on other cultures. We can have a great, glorious, polychromatic society, but we must be firm to the point of ruthlessness in opposing behaviour that undermines our values," wrote Mr Johnson. Terry Sanderson, President of the National Secular Society, said: "Boris Johnson is right. We are permitting a whole generation of young Muslims to be exposed to fanatical and extremely dangerous ideas, not only at home but in schools and the hundreds of unregulated brainwashing centres called madrassas. The extremists are determined and well-organised and they are finding more and more ways to propagate their ideas through exploiting and abusing the freedom of our liberal and tolerant society." Mr Sanderson said the Government seemed paralysed and incapable of even considering the risks of permitting the further proliferation of "faith schools" – particularly under the academy and free school model which is so easily exploited. "Such reluctance will ultimately pose a threat to the unity of the UK" said Mr Sanderson. | |
European court says “human rights of Mormon Church” have not been violated by tax demandNews | Thu, 6th Mar 2014 The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled that the Mormon Church is not entitled to full local property tax exemption on a temple it owns in Chorley, Lancashire. The case goes back to 2005, when the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS) was told that it was not exempt from paying business tax on the temple, which is not open for public worship, but restricted only to the most devout members of the Church The Mormons appealed the decision right up the House of Lords in 2008, but the appeal was dismissed. Now their claim that their human rights were abused has also been dismissed in the European Court, which said that the church members' right to practice their beliefs had not been violated. The Church has two temples in Britain, the other one is in London. Only those members with "recommended status" are allowed to enter. The House of Lords ruled that the Chorley temple was not qualified as a ''place of public religious worship'' since access was so narrowly restricted. There is a chapel on the same site which is open to the public and so qualifies for full exemption. Even though this temple is entirely for the use of a small band of people, it still benefits from a 80% discount of rates because of its charitable status. The ECtHR ruling stated: "This 80 percent reduction can be seen as reflecting the elements of public benefit which the (church) identifies as flowing from the nature of temple worship," the court's ruling stated. The LDS Church had argued those benefits include, the court noted, "extensive participation in charitable and humanitarian endeavours, commitment to good citizenship, and careful devotion to family responsibilities. Sacred pledges made in the course of collective worship in the temple, which were then lived out in the world, resounded to the benefit of society at large." The church argued the original property tax listing meant that Latter-day Saints were being singled out. "This was not a case of worship being made private for the purposes of being exclusive or to provide private benefit," the court noted in summarizing the church's position. "It was because the very nature of the worship as understood by its believers required privacy to promote the sacred character of the worship. […] Just as an invitation to the general public to enter these spaces would disrupt sacred practices, so the nature of temple worship would be destroyed if there were a general requirement that the public be able to sit in." The court ruled the property tax rules do not treat the LDS Church differently than other churches or violate the church's freedom of religion. "The legislation is neutral, in that it is the same for all religious groups as regards the manifestation of religious beliefs in private," the court said. "(A)nd indeed (it) produces exactly the same negative consequences for the officially established (Church of England) as far as private chapels are concerned." | |
MEPs call for better protection of fundamental rights and secularism in the EUNews | Fri, 28th Feb 2014 The European Parliament has passed a resolution that calls on the EU to better respect and enforce fundamental rights and European values within the EU; values which include secularism, freedom of belief, freedom of expression and the right to die with dignity. The resolution, which was passed by 312 votes to 244 with 27 abstentions, calls on the European Commission to set up a system that monitors member states' compliance with EU values and accession criteria. It suggests that this system should include binding recommendations and penalties for breaches. In passing this resolution, the European Parliament calls on the EU to better protect the right to freedom of religion and belief, a right which includes "the freedom of those without a religion not to suffer discrimination as a result of excessive exemptions for religions from laws on equality and non-discrimination." Notably, it argues that, "secularism defined as the strict separation between non-confessional political authorities and religious authorities, as well as the impartiality of the State, [is] the best means of guaranteeing non‑discrimination and equality between religions and between believers and non‑believers." The resolution strongly reiterates the importance of freedom of expression and the right to receive as well as impart information, and notes that laws criminalising blasphemy not only have a serious inhibiting effect on freedom of expression, but they are often applied to persecute, mistreat, or intimidate people belonging to religious or other minorities. It recommends that member states decriminalise offences relating to blasphemy. MEPs also highlight the importance of dignity at the end of life, and call for countries to ensure that "decisions expressed in living wills are recognised and respected." The author of the resolution, Belgian MEP, Louis Michel, who is a member of the liberal group in the Parliament, has said: "if the EU wants to be a moral force that will influence the rest of the world in a good way it has to be strict with itself." |
NSS Speaks Out
The NSS's exposure of a London Jewish school's policy of censoring questions about evolution in exam papers was followed up by The Sunday Times (subscription) and the Rationalist Association. The story was subsequently covered by BBC TV London News, and was its lead news on its Tuesday evening bulletin. See the report here, including contribution from NSS Campaigns Manager Stephen Evans. The story was also covered internationally by Haaretz.
The NSS's uncovering of Muslim schools unlawfully insisting on male-only applicants for science teacher positions was covered in the Daily Telegraph and Leicester Mercury. Stephen Evans was also interviewed by Al Arabiya News on this issue.
Stephen also appeared on BBC London and BBC Three Counties Radio talking about religious slaughter. He also blogged about "Faith Schools" for the Huffington Post.
Letters to Newsline
In future we will no longer be publishing letters as part of Newsline – you can join in the debate on the NSS facebook page, on Twitter (via @natsecsoc), or at the Secular Café website, a secular-based forum for discussion of all topics. This week's letters can be read here.
Quotes of the Week
"The secular courts of this country apply the secular law of the land. They do so equally to all who come before them. The law respects the right of everyone to freedom of thought and belief. However the right to manifest one's religion is not absolute. It is limited in particular by the rights of others."
(Mr Justice Singh, ruling in the case of parents who's allowed their child to die because of their religious beliefs)
"Religious institutions risk losing both their high-ground ability to influence society for good, as well as their down-to-earth tax exemptions, unless they revert to the American view of religious faith as a rock to anchor believers in times of trouble, not a stone to throw at those who make them uncomfortable."
(George Pyle, Salt Lake Tribune)
Essays of the Week
Immigration from Muslim countries will make us less religious, not more
(Ronan McCrea, Aeon Magazine)
The return of blasphemy to Britain
(Rumy Hassan, Huffington Post)
Upcoming Events
AHS National Convention 2014
Sat, 8th Mar 2014
Film Screening: Honor Diaries
Wed, 12th Mar 2014
International Women's Day Conference - The Oppression & Resilience of Women
Sat, 15th Mar 2014
Secularist of the Year Awards 2014
Sat, 29th Mar 2014
International conference on the Religious-Right, Secularism and Civil Rights
Sat, 11th Oct 2014
