Evan Harris Concerned over Government Commitment to Faith Schools

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 10th Sep 2007

Commenting on the launch of a joint statement today, Faith in the System, issued by the Government and religious groups, Liberal Democrat MP, Dr Evan Harris, who has campaigned against faith schools admission policies, said:

"Faith schools' admissions and employment policies are divisive and discriminatory - they penalise good teachers on the basis of their private beliefs and separate out children along religious lines - that is as unacceptable as racial discrimination and segregation and the last thing this country needs. "

"If we have to have tax-funded faith schools then they should not be allowed to set religious tests for admissions and they must have religion-blind employment policies".

"Faith schools make existing racial segregation worse and when you adjust for social class their results are no better than community schools."

"There are no schools which give preference to non-religious employees, children or parents which means that more favouritism for the faiths means less choice for the non-religious. That may be unlawful under the Government's own human rights laws."