The official tables, composed by the Department for Education, show that nearly two thirds of the best primary schools are Anglican, Roman Catholic or Jewish. The success of faith-based primaries comes despite the fact that they account for just one in three schools nationally.

Secularism isn’t a value neutral force in education and attempts to exclude faith from the classroom risk anti-religious indoctrination, according to a new report by a professor of education.

Prof Trevor Cooling’s report, entitled Doing God in Education, also criticised opponents who claim that faith schools shouldn’t be able to consider religious criteria when selecting pupils.

The report, published by the theology think-tank Theos, argues that all education is value driven and shaped by school leaders.

Privilege
It cautions: “The objection to so-called neutral approaches, then, is that they privilege secular worldviews and are in danger of implicit anti-religious indoctrination.
“They are not, in other words, neutral.” …

Faith
“Teaching is shaped by our understanding of which virtues we should practise, what qualities we should value, ultimately of what kind of people we should be.” …

Unfair
“To utilise it as the defining feature for the charge of discrimination is, therefore, itself unfair and exclusive.” …

Primary
Barbara Jarrett, head of the country’s top-performing faith-based primary, said: “It’s all about shared values. We expect our children to be respectful, care for each other, be committed and hard working. Our values reflect the values of our church…

Respectful
“And we encourage children to have a love of learning and a belief in their own ability to do well.” …

Read More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/education-report-debunks-secular-neutrality-myth/