Should religious groups receive state funding for their schools?

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Rachael Watkinson        Education        09/07/2008

Should religious groups receive state funding for their schools?

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This essay explores the reasons, historical and political, for the funding of ‘faith schools’ and discusses the options and opinions held current in the subject. A ‘faith school’ is one which has a relationship with one of the major religions. Sometimes these schools are ‘private’ and funded from parental contribution and church donations, but nowadays many receive all or a significant part of its funding from the state. In Great Britain there are many state funded faith schools but this is not the case in many other countries, which regard religion as a private matter. There are around 7,000 state-funded schools operated by religious groups in England and Wales – 6,400 primary and 600 secondary. Of these, 6,955 are Church of England, Roman Catholic or Methodist. The rest consist of 36 Jewish schools, six Muslim, two Sikh, one Greek Orthodox and one Seventh Day Adventist. http://www.secularism.org.uk/foralloursakesgetridoffaithschoo.html

Religious schools have a long and well-established history in the UK. Some existing schools began in the Middle ages, attached to monastic foundations and as such were Catholic. After the Reformation these became independent, but often kept their Church connections and funding. This established a clear link in the English tradition of faith education, although it was seldom available to many and indeed the practice of free education of poor but able boys (for few places admitted girls) often disappeared as these schools became fee-paying. A small number of schools were also founded by philanthropic individuals who set up establishments for poor pupils or left money to found schools. A local example is one, Hugh Sexey who died in 1619, left money in his will to found a school in Somerset, for poor boys and girls to learn basic literacy, numeracy and a trade.

Provision of education before the establishment of the state sector was largely faith based. Numerous local small schools existed run by individuals of varying ability, Dame Schools were often little better than childminding services with little education. Many churches would have an adhoc system of teaching Scripture and the catechism but few taught more than very simple literacy. In the 18th century a movement grew especially within the nonconformist sector towards provision of Sunday Schools. Many individuals were involved locally; some like Robert Raikes and Hannah More achieved more long-term national fame. Robert Raikes introduced the idea of Sunday schooling in the 1780s and founded a school for the children of chimney sweeps in 1780. Hannah More and her sister Martha picked up this idea and opened several Sunday schools in the Mendip Hills.

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Later in the nineteenth century, the formation of the National Society for promoting religious education in 1811 had as one of its core beliefs that ‘the National Religion should be made the foundation of National Education, and should be the first and chief thing taught to the poor, according to the excellent liturgy and catechism provided by our Church.’ The foundation of numerous primary schools throughout England was the result of this beginning and the Non-conformist sector followed this example in the establishment of their own schools under the British and Foreign Society in 1814. The introduction of a grant ...

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