Wednesday 18 November 2009

no faith schools officer

I had a look at the British Humanist Association website today and was interested to discover that they are appealing for money to fund a dedicated campaign officer against faith schools. Here’s what they say:

Help the BHA in its effort to phase out state funded 'faith' schools by ensuring we can employ a dedicated campaign officer against faith schools for another year. When we raise £30,000 we will be able to continue employing our dedicated campaigner for twelve months. Our campaigner will make sure that the voice of UK citizens who oppose faith schools is represented in the most powerful way. To do this our campaigner helps to stimulate and organise local campaigns against new faith schools and lobby government and parliament to reform the laws that allow state funded schools to discriminate in their employment and admissions on religious grounds, and to teach unbalanced curricula of religious education.

I was wondering whether the position of campaigner against faith schools was open to anyone or only to humanists? In other words does the person have to subscribe to the beliefs of the British Humanist Association as a necessary requirement for the job or can people of other faiths apply?

Update: If you want to see what a positive contribution church schools are making to education then check out +Alan Wilson's blog on Seer Green School.

5 comments:

The Church Mouse said...

Phil

They've had someone in this role for some time. Mouse is rather shocked, however, that the current campaign for funds for this post is piggy-backing off a billboard campaign, which is being funded by the left over cash from the atheist bus fundraising.

In other words, money given to fund posters on buses is now being used to front a fundraising campaign for the BHA to employ someone to campaign against faith schools.

Philip Ritchie said...

Good spot Mouse. The other issue for me is the way that Ekklesia is happy to be in coalition with the BHA as members of Accord. The agenda is clearly not reform of bad practice in some faith schools but the removal of faith schools from state funded education. I cannot understand why Ekklesia seems so committed to removing the voice of faith communities from the public space.

Matt Wardman said...

>I was wondering whether the position of campaigner against faith schools was open to anyone or only to humanists? In other words does the person have to subscribe to the beliefs of the British Humanist Association as a necessary requirement for the job or can people of other faiths apply?

Surely it would be illegal if they couldn't apply, never mind being contrary to BHA declared principles?

Philip Ritchie said...

Hence my question Matt:-)

UKViewer said...

I was interested in the use of Charitable funds donated for one use, which makes expenditure from it RESTRICTED IN PURPOSE.

Therefore, the reality is that they may well be in breach of Charity Rules.

Looking at their 2008 accounts on the charities commission website, reflects that they received a grant from the EHRC of £35,000 to carry out a project, presumably the one they are pleading for more money for.

They actually overspent by £57,000 in the 2008 year.

Link to Accounts:

http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/registeredcharities/ScannedAccounts/Ends87%5C0000285987_ac_20081231_e_c.pdf