Government Will Not Oppose Extremist Views In UK Classrooms

According to the National Secular Society, there will be no new legislation prohibiting the teaching of extremist religious views in the Government's new free schools and academies. This information came via Lord Hill of Oareford, Parliamentary under-Secretary of State for Schools in a letter to the National Secular Society.

The information came in response to a request from The NSS to outline what steps would be taken to prevent the teaching of extreme Religious "values" and ideologies in the new free schools model of education.

It appeared Lord Hill dodged answering the question with any sort of conviction or acknowledgement of the dangers of radical religious teaching to children, appealing to the religious masses with this response:

“On the issue of proselytising, which you also raise, we do not think it appropriate to legislate in this area. Parents will choose a school based on its ethos. That ethos may be Christian, Muslim or Jewish or it may have no faith ethos at all. Parents should be free to choose schools on the basis of their ethos. I would like to believe that parents consider these issues carefully and send their children to a school fully aware of its faith or other ethos.”

This is the typical response given my members of parliament when such questions are posed. The serious underlined issues are ignored, with attention switched to that of parental rights, and not those of the children.

President of The National Secular Society responded with:

“We are alarmed at the prospect of extremist religious groups taking control of these schools and using them to brainwash children. What is to stop a Muslim group taking over a school and turning it into a madrassa at public expense, if that is what it is claimed the parents want? What is to stop a Scientology front group taking over a school and then introducing its teachings with taxpayers’ money? The fact that some parents want to indoctrinate their children in a particular religion does not mean that they should be able to access public money to do so.”

Does the issue of parental rights to indoctrinate a child in a faith of their choosing outweigh the secularist view of what could be deemed child abuse?

An in depth look at the rise and impact of faith schools was outlined in the Richard Dawkins fronted documentary, Faith School Menace? Click here to watch online for free.

What are your views on faith schools? A parental right, or children's rights disregarded? What are the dangers of teaching outdated beliefs about the cosmos, life on earth and morality, whilst denying modern established and observed facts? Can a child really be of a religious persuasion, without indoctrination? It can be argued a child does not have the sufficient equipment necessary to make decisions about questions of this scale. Is forcing these views on an impressionable, mentally vulnerable generation a devious and unethical way of preserving bronze aged beliefs? Please use the comments section to have your say.