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Fair school admissions: research and rationale

Simon Barrow

Abstract

In this paper, adapted and expanded by Ekklesia from a briefing by the Fair Admissions Campaign, of which we are founding members, the rationale for the initiative's core objectives is set out, along with summaries of some recent research on the correlation between religious selection and segregation/discrimination on racial, socio-economic and religious grounds. Ten core reasons for opposing schools excluding or including pupils on the basis of religion or belief are also adumbrated.

The Fair Admissions Campaign wants all state-funded schools in England and Wales to be open equally to all children, without regard to religion or belief. Ekklesia supports this aim, and wishes to argue for it on theological grounds (notably the Christian duty to demonstrate love to neighbours and companions without fear or favour, and to witness in its actions to God's domination-free realm) and on grounds which will be shared by others (in a plural, mixed belief society, discrimination is wrong and unjust). In this paper, adapted and expanded from a briefing by the Fair Admissions Campaign, of which we are founding members, the rationale for the initiative's core objectives is set out, along with summaries of some recent research on the correlation between religious selection and segregation/discrimination on racial, socio-economic and religious grounds. Ten core reasons for opposing schools excluding or including pupils on the basis of religion or belief are also adumbrated.

* Read the full paper (*.PDF Adobe Acrobat document): http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/files/fair_admissions_rationale.pdf