Michael Gove MP
SCORES of religious state schools could be set up in Yorkshire by parents, local communities or religious groups under a Tory government.
The Conservatives want to make it easier for parents, charities and trusts to set up their own new schools to meet the needs of local communities.
Shadow Schools’ Secretary Michael Gove told the Yorkshire Post his party would welcome the creation of new religious schools and accepted that the policy could lead to an increase in Islamic state schools being funded in areas of West Yorkshire.
However he dismissed fears that such a move could lead to further segregation or extremism in the region.
A report by the think-tank Civitas earlier this year warned that Ofsted inspectors did not know enough about Islam to be able to properly inspect Muslim state schools. It claimed to have discovered a series of Islamic school websites calling for the banning of activities such as music, chess, Shakespeare, cricket and reading Harry Potter.
But Councillor David Ward, education spokesman for Bradford Council’s Liberal Democrat group, told the Telegraph & Argus that more faith schools would damage Bradford communities.
This is segregation. The only segregation I’m willing to accept is segregation on age, not gender or religion. Schools should reflect the society that young people are going to live in.
Cllr David Ward
And Councillor Ralph Berry, education spokesman for the Labour group, said Mr Gove’s comments were “empty rhetoric”.
Mr Gove accepted that the proposals could lead to an increase in Islamic state schools, but he argued they would not heighten segregation.
Sher Azam, president of the Bradford Council for Mosques, welcomed Mr Gove’s comments. He said there was no reason why more faith schools would increase segregation in society.
Britain is becoming a multi-cultural, multi-faith society so therefore we would be better served giving room to every group that wants to do something good by providing education
As long as these schools were to provide the basic curriculum and the basic requirements of the state then I don’t see how it would cause any problem to the wider society.
Mr Gove said Ofsted would be responsible for preventing people with extreme religious views from opening schools and schools would be inspected regularly and would be required to teach English history.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:43 am
So Ofsted will stop people with "extreme religious views" from opening schools will it? That`s news to me!!
June 3rd, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Michael Gove was a smug little twerp on the Moral Maze (Radio 4 right-wing jerkoffathon). He is now a smug, expenses-gobbling little twerp on the Tory front bench. Just when you thought nothing could be worse than Brown's government, we have the prospect of fundies given taxpayers' money to brainwash kids with bigotry. I think I deserve to have some of my taxes refunded, as I don't see why I should pay them to bolster religion. Perhaps that idea could form the basis of a fightback?
June 3rd, 2009 at 1:57 pm
I would not expect my local religious establishment to teach algebra, geography, modern languages and other academic subjects so why should I have to expect that my local schools should teach a particular religion. I have no basic problem with a general comparative study of all religions as part of the school curriculum with the proviso that it does not start until the pupils have reached their later teenage years by which time they should be able to make up their own minds on the subject matter.
June 3rd, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw: "Don't pray in my school and I won't think in your church"
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:19 pm
'…Ofsted inspectors did not know enough about Islam to be able to properly inspect Muslim state schools.'
All an Ofsted Inspector needs to know about Islam is the fact it was founded by a moon-worshipping psychotic paedophile on a flying horse, and that the curriculum will be based on the bastard's demented ramblings.
Nuff said. Shut the places down and get the kids into proper schools.
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:00 pm
I'm in agreement with David Ward when he says that schools should be a reflection of the society that pupils and their parents live in.
When the next Conservative government come to power – and it looks inevitable after an election next year – this country will be in for a dreadful time. If the recession is still happening after the Tories win, David Cameron's Herbert Hooveresque response will make the situation worse. In addition to this bad news, we'll have more faith schools forcing crap into children's heads. These institutions should be called sectarian rather than faith schools as to my mind they are divisive.
We are facing a pretty bleak future under the rule of a corrupt millionaire who doesn't even know how many houses he owns.
June 4th, 2009 at 12:16 am
I sent a hasty and somewhat ill-considered letter to the YP, which might be printed on Thursday. In my fury, I conflated preaching in schools with preaching in mosques. I also said that no non-religious person would send their child to a "faith" school – without adding "all other things being equal".
If they print it, I shall no doubt get some flack from the righteous – a few replies to any such replies would be welcome.
Thanks in advance.
June 4th, 2009 at 8:26 am
Forget about all this teaching stuff.
Homeskool is wats best fer Christian folks.
Never done me no harm.
I lerned all about Jesus and how he kills you if your norty
I learned how God creatid everthing
I stopped lernin when I was 13 anyways so I could start makin little soldiers for Jesus.
Praise the Lord.
June 4th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Yeah – any fanatic who thinks that music and dancing are inventions of the Devil, purely for the purpose of dragging the souls of poor little children down to the deepest hell, is just the person to be entrusted with their education, I`d have thought!!
June 4th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
You`re bang on there JohnD! Hoover, Reagan, Thatcher, and all their "advisers", like Sir Alan Walters and Sir Keith Joseph, were absolutely correct. If you leave the economy alone, and refuse to "bail out" businesses or "print money", it will all sort itself out in the end! Trouble is, you have a generation of children going to school without shoes on their feet or food in their stomachs while this economic adjustment takes place!! Still, if you`re a multi- millionaire it`s the best of times (surprise, surprise), as cash is king!!!
June 4th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Wait and see what the reaction is first; then let us know what they are saying, if you need advice!
June 5th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Michael Gove: don't I just know the type. Smug, nasty, know alls – contact with real life zero; thinks because he managed to get into university and write some sicky columns that he has all the answers. What a repellent maggot this man is.
I haven't seen much sign that religion has done much for the morals or ethics of the snouts in the trough politicians. We saw it coming. The letter in The Freethinker headed SLEAZE AND CHRISTIANITY was on target and assessed with the kind of verbal attack (you only get this from atheist publications) on the main politicians that indicated what was to come.. Reminded me of some of H.L. Mencken's attacks on similar subjects but that was back in 1926. Don't we ever learn?
June 5th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
My question on the existance of a Christian political party was why on earth do they think that we need one seeing as the cabinet is stuffed with Christians already.
June 5th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
But they`re not "proper Christians", Stonyground!