We aim for all new audio-visual content to be accompanied by a transcript and are working through our archive. Where a human checked transcript is not yet available, we may use automated subtitles. Best efforts are made to ensure transcripts are accurate.
Ep 51: Laïcité and free speech in France
Tue, 8 Jun 2021
Satire is "the oxygen of a democracy," according to Caroline Fourest, a French writer, filmmaker, feminist, anti-extremist and former Charlie Hebdo journalist. Free speech, including satire, is a vital part of laïcité or secularism.
Ep 50: The Church of England's influence over education
Tue, 25 May 2021
What does it mean for a school to be 'C of E'? And how far does the Church of England's influence extend over state-funded education?
Ep 49: The early history of secularism
Sun, 16 May 2021
The term 'secularism' was coined in 1851. But Britain's tradition of freethinkers, atheists and radicals goes back much further than that.
Ep 48: Challenging the Jehovah's Witnesses
Thu, 29 Apr 2021
Lloyd Evans was an elder in the Jehovah's Witnesses, before he left the organisation in 2013. He has since been campaigning to expose its workings to the public.
Ep 47: Blasphemy in the classroom – The Batley Grammar case
Tue, 13 Apr 2021
A Yorkshire secondary school recently decided to suspend and investigate a teacher for using a cartoon of the prophet Muhammad in an RE lesson on blasphemy, amid protests outside the school gates.
Ep 46: Forced marriage and the importance of RSE
Tue, 30 Mar 2021
A marriage can be forced even if it doesn't involve the threat of physical violence. In some faith communities in Britain, young people's freedom to choose their future spouse can be denied in subtler ways.
Ep 45: The Scottish Hate Crime Bill
Tue, 16 Mar 2021
This episode is about the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill, which was finally passed by the Scottish Parliament on 11th March, after much controversy. With Liam Kerr MSP and Jamie Gillies of Free to Disagree.
Ep 44: Post-Christian Britain and religion in schools
Tue, 2 Mar 2021
This episode is about the place of religion in Britain today, both in society in general and in schools in particular. Emma Park interviews Linda Woodhead, professor of religion at Lancaster University.
Ep 43: Charles Bradlaugh – Atheist and Republican
Tue, 9 Feb 2021
One hundred and thirty years after he died, Professor David Nash and Bob Forder speak to Emma Park about the life and significance of Charles Bradlaugh – the first openly atheist MP, and the founder of the NSS.
Ep 42: Transforming education in Northern Ireland
Tue, 26 Jan 2021
NSS head of education Alastair Lichten is joined by Sam Fitzsimmons and Matthew Milliken to discuss the range of challenges facing Northern Ireland's divided education system, and their hopes for the future.
