British government wants faith schools to twin with other religions

ALC/ENI, LONDON, Gran Bretaña, May 30, 2007

The British government is urging faith-based schools in England and Wales to twin with similar Taxi Heathrow Airport establishments of other beliefs as part of a legal obligation, which comes into force on September 1.

Under a law passed in 2006, all schools in England and Wales will have to promote community cohesion between racial and religious groups. Their progress will be monitored, in the case of state-supported schools, by an education standards watchdog called Ofsted.

"I'm quite keen on faith-based schools twinning with those of other faiths, so they can talk to each other about their faith and extend their understanding. Muslim schools that I represent are pretty homogeneous and mono-faith and very much single ethnic background," Britain's schoolsminister Jim Knight told the annual conference of the National Association of Head Teachers earlier in May.

Knight said he would like to see pupils in faith schools become pen pals with their opposite numbers in schools of different faiths. He mentioned a school in his own constituency where pupils had never met a Hindu or a Muslim child.

Final guidelines to assist implementation will be issued in July. Existing guidelines state: "Every school -- whatever its intake and wherever it is located -- is responsible for educating children and young people who will live and work in a country which is diverse in terms of culture, faith, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds."

Some senior teachers have, however, reportedly criticized the initiative for introducing a bureaucratic responsibility in an area where schools are already operating positively. Still, Ecumenical News International encountered a more positive response from organizations speaking on behalf of faith schools.

"The Catholic Education Service supports twinning and other collaborative activities where they can add to the life of all types of school," said Oona Stannard, chief executive for the CES. "We seek a government strategy of encouragement and practical support for this proposal so that schools don't feel a further burden."

A spokesperson for the Church of England schools told ENI: "In principle we have no problem, but practical questions of what might be achieved and how progress can be monitored will have to be examined."

A community issues spokesperson of the Board of Deputies of British Jews said ways of complying with the legislation and working with Ofsted would be discussed soon.

No comment could be obtained from the Muslim Council of Great Britain.

Source: Ecumenical News International www.eni.ch 07-0411