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The British Humanist Association is the national charity working on behalf of ethically concerned, non-religious people in the UK. It is the largest organisation in the UK campaigning for an end to religious privilege and to discrimination based on religion or belief, and for a secular state.

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BHA signs letter expressing concern at pseudo-scientific Maharishi and Steiner Free Schools

A letter in yesterday’s Observer  expressing concern about pseudo-scientific Free Schools has been signed by the British Humanist Association (BHA). Amongst others, the letter was also signed by Edzard Ernst, Professor of Complementary Medicine at the University of Exeter; David Colquhoun, Professor of Pharmacology at University College London; and the science writer Simon Singh, and is specifically directed at Maharishi and Steiner schools.The letter reads: Sir – Since the formation of the

New BHA research reveals most new ‘faith’ schools opening ‘by the back door’

Every single ‘faith’ school proposed to be fast-tracked through the opening process without competition in the last five years was approved. This 100% success rate contrasts with the results of other schools trying to open outside of competition, when fewer than half of proposals were successful. When ‘faith’ schools faced competition from non-religious proposals, barely one-third succeeded. These are the main findings of a new report  published today by

Even the government don’t know which Academies and Free Schools are religiously discriminating ‘faith’ schools

A new Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by the British Humanist Association (BHA) has revealed that even the Department for Education (DfE) do not know which Academies and Free Schools have a ‘faith ethos’ and which do not. The BHA has branded the revelation ‘unbelievable’.‘Faith ethos’ schools are a growing but largely hidden type of state-funded school. In the state-maintained school sector (i.e. community, voluntary and foundation schools), if the authority or foundation that runs the school wants to appoint any governors on the basis of their religion, then the school must

Legal action against state-funded religious schools opening ‘by the back door’

The British Humanist Association (BHA) and Richmond Inclusive Schools Campaign  (RISC) have joined forces to bring legal action against Richmond Council, which is seeking to open state-funded, selective Roman Catholic schools outside of competition.New rules  that came into force on 1 February state that ‘If a local authority in England think a new school needs to be established in their area, they must seek proposals for the establishment of an Academy’ [i.e. a Free School].

Methodists risk giving up all their education principles on a wing

This weekend saw the Methodist Church hold a meeting aimed at ‘re-invigorat[ing] its engagement with the education sector’. The British Humanist Association (BHA) has expressed dismay at the related Education Committee Report  with its calls for expansion and increasing evangelisation of Methodist schools, and expressed concern at the Department for Education’s (DfE’s) role in instigating this development.Earlier this year, following the passage of the Education Act, the DfE gained the power to force

New Church of England report seeks expansion and evangelisation of state-funded schools

A new report by the Church of England is set to call for an increase in the specifically religious character of its state-funded schools, as well as the setting up of 200 more state-funded Church schools. It follows a call by the Church of England Bishop responsible for education for church schools to be used to combat ‘aggressive secularism’. The British Humanist Association (BHA) has labelled the report insular and tainted by self-interest. The BHA also says the contents of the report undermine the Church’s claim that its schools are genuinely open to all.Proposals found in the Church

Groups submit bids to open 2013 Free Schools as BHA lists applicants

Today is the deadline for submitting a bid to open a Free School in 2013 , as part of the ‘third wave’ of applications. 337 groups have indicated  to the New Schools Network that they intend to bid. The British Humanist Association has been able to identify 38 proposals for ‘faith’ or pseudoscientific schools, out of 99 identified in total.Free Schools are a type of Academy, used to refer to Academies that are brand new

New rules on setting up schools in England come into force

New rules on setting up English schools introduced by the Education Act 2011 have come into force today. The British Humanist Association (BHA) has called the changes a ‘regressive step in further entrenching favouritism enjoyed by “faith” school proposals in the school creation process’.Where a local authority recognises a need for a new school, the changes strongly give preference to all new schools being Free Schools, whilst only allowing new local authority-run foundation and community schools to be proposed once all other options have been exhausted. However, they also make it even

Largest proposed Free School attempts to increase religious discrimination by circumventing faith-based admissions and employment laws

Becket Keys Church of England School in Brentwood, Essex, the largest Free School to have been pre-approved to open by the Department for Education, has been accused today of attempting to circumvent the 50% faith-based admissions requirement imposed by the Department for Education (DfE), and also of breaking the rules on religious requirements in employing teachers. The accusations come in correspondence from the British Humanist Association (BHA) to the DfE asking the DfE to pay closer attention to the behaviour of the school, which is due to open in September.If oversubscribed, Becket

Change in Free School model funding agreement requires promotion of democracy, equality of opportunity, respect, tolerance and the rule of law

Additional changes recently made by the government to Free School model funding agreement  include requiring schools to promote democracy, equality of opportunity, respect, tolerance and the rule of law. The changes, which promote values supported by the British Humanist Association (BHA) and emphasise that there is one law for all, represent a ‘significant victory’ in the campaign against extremism, and in favour of citizenship education.The new requirement is one of

Nadine Dorries' abstinence education bill withdrawn... but ‘faith’ schools can still teach pupils how to 'cure gays'

Nadine Dorries MP has withdrawn her Sex Education (Required Content) Bill , which sought to secure abstinence education for girls only, according to the Guardian . However, this good news comes amid reports that JFS – a state-maintained Jewish school in London – has taught pupils  how to ‘cure gays’. The British Humanist Association (BHA) has welcomed the

Government: Community schools will not be able to convert to 'faith' Academies in one step

The Government has reassured the British Humanist Association (BHA) today that under new plans being drawn up, community schools will not be able to convert to ‘faith’ Academies in one simple step, as had previously been reported  and claimed by the Church of England (CofE). The BHA has welcomed the news, though taken the opportunity to again express its concern that faith groups are still able and seeking to expand their role in education through the Academies programme.The plans were initially announced in the TES 

Church of England Academy expansion plans could be slowed by new government proposals

New proposals could slow the spread of new ‘faith’ schools, but go nowhere near tackling the growing religious division in the education system, the British Humanist Association (BHA) has warned.The government has today revised the model funding agreement for Free Schools  in order to give the Secretary of State the explicit power to veto any proposals by a Free School without a religious character to acquire one, something that was not previously the case. This change

Government changes Free School model funding agreement to ban creationist schools

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has welcomed a new revision of the model funding agreement for Free Schools  by the Government in order to preclude ‘the teaching, as an evidence-based view or theory, of any view or theory that is contrary to established scientific and/or historical evidence and explanations.’ This highly significant change has been made in order to ban creationism from being taught in Free Schools, and prevent creationist groups from opening schools.

More creationist Free Schools planned for 2013 opening

More Free Schools are being planned for opening in 2013 by creationists or groups with links to a creationist organisation, the British Humanist Association (BHA) has learned. The BHA has concerns about proposals in Bedford and Barnsley, in addition to plans in Sheffield  and Newark  that the BHA had commented on earlier this year.In Bedford, Destiny Christian School  is being proposed by the Miracle Church of God in Christ, and if approved to open, will be a member

Education Act 2011 receives royal assent

The Education Act 2011 received Royal Assent yesterday, having completed its passage through Parliament last week. The British Humanist Association (BHA) has repeatedly expressed concern that changes to the rules about how new schools are set up will result in further expansion of the proportion of ‘faith’ schools in the state sector. Unfortunately, despite much hard work by humanist Peers, the new law is likely to contribute to further entrenchment of religious discrimination in the school system.In November last year, the Government published its Education White Paper 

Another creationist Free School proposed for 2013

A creationist Free School, Sheffield Christian Free School , has been proposed to open in 2013, and last week held a public meeting to gauge parent support. The British Humanist Association (BHA), which recently worked with other groups  to launch a new campaign website, ‘Teach evolution, not creationism! ’, has expressed concern at the continuing confidence of creationist groups in applying to open Free Schools, and disappointment that the Department for

Maharishi School Trust seeks three more Transcendental Meditation Free Schools as BHA expresses concern

The Maharishi School Trust has announced that it is seeking to establish three more Free Schools, following having successfully set up its first in Lancashire last month. The British Humanist Association (BHA) has expressed serious concerns about the spiritual and pseudoscientific aspects of the schools’ teaching, and about the schools’ admissions policies.The schools, proposed to open in 2013, would be located in Suffolk, Richmond-upon-Thames and north London. Unlike the Lancashire school, which converted from a private school, these schools would be brand new. Maharishi Schools teach

'Faith' school admissions debated in the House of Lords

‘Faith’ school admissions criteria were debated in the House of Lords yesterday, as the Government rejected an amendment that sought to curb expanding discrimination in Academies.  The British Humanist Association (BHA) worked with All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group  (APPHG) Secretary Baroness Massey of Darwen to table an amendment  to stop Voluntary Controlled (VC) ‘faith’ schools that convert to Academies from being able to easily increase the priority of religious criteria in their admissions policies,

More divisive ‘faith’ schools on the way as Government rejects Education Bill amendments

The third day of the Education Bill’s Report Stage took place yesterday, with peers debating the continued proliferation of state-funded ‘faith’ schools, in particular changes in the Bill to make Voluntary Aided schools – the most extreme type of state-maintained school – easier to set up. The British Humanist Association (BHA) briefed peers  ahead of the debate, having worked with All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group  (APPHG) Secretary Baroness Massey of Darwen to table amendments to the Bill to reverse this

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