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Churches welcome interview ban but defend discrimination in school admissions
-08/02/06
Churches have welcomed proposals to outlaw interviewing for school admissions, as part of a compromise school reforms deal, but defended their right to discriminate in their admissions policies on the basis of church attendance.
Interviewing is against the admissions code and few schools in England do it.
But a test case involving the Roman Catholic London Oratory School showed this could not be enforced.
In an open letter to the BBC News website the Church of England and Roman Catholic education chiefs, John Hall and Oona Stannard, welcomed the ban.
“Faith criteria in the selection process should be as transparent, fair and straight-forward as possible”, they say.
However many church schools use what critics, including some Christians, say are unjust and discriminatory admissions policies.
Church schools will often give priority in admissions to the children of parents who attend churches linked to the school.
In recent years it has been lawful to interview pupils on matters of practice of faith or commitment.
This, say schools, is to ensure pupils fulfil faith requirements in a school governing body’s selection criteria.
Although church leaders still defend their rights to discriminate on the basis of church attendance in admissions, Church leaders say such interviews are unnecessary to do that.
Faith criteria “can be confirmed simply by a priest’s or minister’s reference”.
When the current code of practice on admissions was proposed they had strongly supported the removal of interviews, which in fact only a small number of church schools were using.
“Whilst the code of practice was guidance and not statutory we were pleased to see the use of interviews decline further.
They add: “We have, however, continued to encourage government to outlaw interviews and we welcome this step in the forthcoming legislation.” There has been a renewed focus on admissions policies as a result of the government’s proposals for so-called trust schools.
The plans have run into considerable opposition from Labour backbenchers.
Last week the Commons education select committee, in its report on the government’s White Paper, recommends that the government brings forward regulations to prohibit interviewing “or other proxies for academic selection” as soon as possible.
It said a recent case in which a school had been allowed by the education secretary of state to continue to interview parents despite the admissions code “illustrates what can happen”.
The committee did not name the school, but the celebrated case was that of the London Oratory – which was attended, as it happens, by the prime minister’s sons.
Told it was in breach of the admissions code it went to the High Court, arguing – successfully – that it should be able to continue interviewing prospective pupils and their parents.
It said it was required to “have regard to” the code – but not to abide by it.
Ms Kelly decided, on advice, that she could not overrule the school.
As well as outlawing interviews, the government will make it clear that schools will have to adhere to the admissions code, not just “have regard” to it.
Related Searches(UK visitors only)
Church of England
Church Schools
Catholic Schools
London Oratory
Churches welcome interview ban but defend discrimination in school admissions
-08/02/06
Churches have welcomed proposals to outlaw interviewing for school admissions, as part of a compromise school reforms deal, but defended their right to discriminate in their admissions policies on the basis of church attendance.
Interviewing is against the admissions code and few schools in England do it.
But a test case involving the Roman Catholic London Oratory School showed this could not be enforced.
In an open letter to the BBC News website the Church of England and Roman Catholic education chiefs, John Hall and Oona Stannard, welcomed the ban.
“Faith criteria in the selection process should be as transparent, fair and straight-forward as possible”, they say.
However many church schools use what critics, including some Christians, say are unjust and discriminatory admissions policies.
Church schools will often give priority in admissions to the children of parents who attend churches linked to the school.
In recent years it has been lawful to interview pupils on matters of practice of faith or commitment.
This, say schools, is to ensure pupils fulfil faith requirements in a school governing body’s selection criteria.
Although church leaders still defend their rights to discriminate on the basis of church attendance in admissions, Church leaders say such interviews are unnecessary to do that.
Faith criteria “can be confirmed simply by a priest’s or minister’s reference”.
When the current code of practice on admissions was proposed they had strongly supported the removal of interviews, which in fact only a small number of church schools were using.
“Whilst the code of practice was guidance and not statutory we were pleased to see the use of interviews decline further.
They add: “We have, however, continued to encourage government to outlaw interviews and we welcome this step in the forthcoming legislation.” There has been a renewed focus on admissions policies as a result of the government’s proposals for so-called trust schools.
The plans have run into considerable opposition from Labour backbenchers.
Last week the Commons education select committee, in its report on the government’s White Paper, recommends that the government brings forward regulations to prohibit interviewing “or other proxies for academic selection” as soon as possible.
It said a recent case in which a school had been allowed by the education secretary of state to continue to interview parents despite the admissions code “illustrates what can happen”.
The committee did not name the school, but the celebrated case was that of the London Oratory – which was attended, as it happens, by the prime minister’s sons.
Told it was in breach of the admissions code it went to the High Court, arguing – successfully – that it should be able to continue interviewing prospective pupils and their parents.
It said it was required to “have regard to” the code – but not to abide by it.
Ms Kelly decided, on advice, that she could not overrule the school.
As well as outlawing interviews, the government will make it clear that schools will have to adhere to the admissions code, not just “have regard” to it.