Agenda item

The following public question was received from Mr Syed Maruf Ali:-

“One of education's most powerful features is the ability to bring people together and to open opportunities for our children, no matter their background. What sort of message do our schools send to children when they discriminate based on religion?

An inclusive education system today is the best chance we have of creating an inclusive society tomorrow.

A secular approach to school admissions would create a more inclusive education system that values and caters for all pupils equally.

Wider issues of discrimination in admissions

When voluntary aided faith schools and religious academies are oversubscribed, they are permitted to use religious criteria to give priority in admissions to children, or children of parents, who practice a particular religion. In many cases schools will require evidence of baptism or religious practice from a minister of religion.

We should advocate for an end to the exemption from equality law that permits state funded 'faith schools' to religiously select children in this way.

Such admissions arrangements disadvantage local children whose parents are non-religious or of a different religion to the school's religious designation. Many parents find that because of their lack of religious belief, they are unable to send their children to their local state school, which is often the most appropriate school for their needs.

There is also strong evidence to suggest that the discriminatory admissions arrangements operated by some schools, in addition to being unfair, encourage social segregation and impede community cohesion. Religious selection in schools is discriminatory, entrenches religious segregation in wider society, and often leads to ethnic and socio-economic segregation too.

In a society as diverse as ours especially in Oldham, rather than facilitating segregation along religious lines, the Government/Oldham Council should be doing everything it can to ensure that children of all faiths and none are educated together in inclusive schools.

Under the Equality Act 2010, Oldham Council has a duty to consider and address the impact of all its policies or activities on the different groups protected under the Act.

Under the Equality Act 2010, schools must, in the exercise of their public functions, have due regard to:

• Advancing equality of opportunity between people who share a ‘protected characteristic’ and people who do not share it

(The protected characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation)

• Eliminating discrimination, harassment, victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Act

• Fostering good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it

This is called the ‘public sector equality duty’. It is up to schools how they implement the duty. However, they must be able to provide evidence upon request that due regard has been paid to the duty in their day-today work, practice and decision-making.

Equality impact assessments help schools take a consistent approach to the duty. The law requires that the Oldham Council demonstrates that it has considered and addressed potential impacts in its decision making.

The Oldham Council, Jim McMahon MP (Oldham West & Royton), Oldham Interfaith Forum, Action Together in Oldham and the Chai mums has supported the Cranmer Education Trust ‘s application to open a new secondary school – Blue Coat II – which has been approved. 

I would like to know has there been an Equality Impact Assessment been carried out for Cranmer Education Trust ‘s?

Will Oldham council carry out Equality Impact Assessment on admission criteria for all school in Oldham?

Councillor Mushtaq responded that:-

As Cranmer is a Multi Academy Trust the Local Authority would not be in a position to carry out a Equality Impact Assessment. The Trust do have an Equality Policy which makes specific reference to Equality Impact Assessments and its commitment to review policies through a programme of impact testing.

All non-voluntary aided schools in Oldham (Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools) adhere to the Local Authority Admissions Policy which is fully compliant with the Equality Act 2010. Council policies are subject to Equality Impact Assessments. Voluntary Aided Schools and Academy Trusts are their own admissions authority and it is the responsibility of the school or the trust to undertake Equality Impact Assessments on their Admissions Policy and to ensure they adhere to the Equality Act 2010. They must consult on their policy every 7 years. Schools with a religious character are permitted in law to discriminate on the grounds of religion or belief concerning the following:-

•             Those that they choose to admit as pupils

•             The provision of education.

•             Who they allow to access a benefit, facility or service.

This is allowed under the Equality Act under ‘religious or belief related exceptions’.

In relation to the new school, the Trust would decide their admission policy as they were the admission authority for the Academy. There would be a consultation period when the views of the public and parents would be considered.

Councillor Fielding added that the new school was still in its early days and its admission policy was not likely to be the same as that for the current Blue Coat School. It was expected that the admission policy for the new school would better reflect the local demographic.