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Dave Thompson/PA Wire
UK News

Survey finds most people oppose letting faith schools select all pupils by religion

by Eno Adeogun

The poll commissioned by the Accord Coalition found that four out of every five people asked opposed the Conservative plan to no longer require new over-subscribed faith schools to offer 50 per cent of their places to those of other religions or none.

The survey of more than 2,000 people which was carried out by Populus found that there is little support for the policy among those of faiths most likely to be affected.

Just 20 per cent of respondents said they agreed that new state-funded state schools should be allowed to select up to 100 per cent of their pupils on the basis of faith while 79 per cent of Anglicans opposed the new selection proposals.

However, two-thirds of Catholics opposed the plans that would allow religious schools in England to use faith-based criteria when selecting pupils for admission.

Jay Harman, an education campaigner with the organisation Humanist UK, told Schoolsweek it is "no surprise" that the proposal is unpopular.

He added: "Religious and non-religious people alike recognise that both children and society are best served when people from a range of different backgrounds are brought together to learn with and from one another, and that is exactly what the 50 per cent cap sought to achieve."

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