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Board of Education responds to Cantle Report on Community Cohesion

11 December 2001

The Church of England Board of Education has welcomed the conclusions with regard to schools in the report of the Community Cohesion Review Team chaired by Mr Ted Cantle.

"I warmly welcome the recognition in Mr Cantle's report that the problem of an increase in mono-cultural schools is not in any way confined to faith-based schools," said the Rt Rev Alan Chesters, Bishop of Blackburn and Chairman of the Church of England's Board of Education. "The Church of England is as concerned as Mr Cantle that some faith schools appear to be operating discriminatory policies where religious affiliations protect cultural and ethnic divisions.

"Lord Dearing's report on Church schools recommended that any new ones must be distinctively Christian but inclusive communities and that all Church schools should reserve places for children of other faiths and none. As I told the General Synod last month, this is now the policy of the Board of Education and I would encourage all Church schools, both state sector and independent, to take this into account.

"Church schools put great effort into teaching about other religions and it is essential that all schools, not just faith-based schools, should promote understanding of other faiths and cultures. To that end, I would support Mr Cantle's various recommendations on school twinnings, teacher exchanges and joint sports, curriculum and parental activities."