Are faith schools a force for social unity or for division? The question must worry their governors as the Government pushes for more such schools to be set up.

Long-standing Christian education in Britain has been augmented by a handful of Jewish, Muslim and Sikh schools, with many “minority” faiths providing religious education.

The Government’s drive for faith-based schools comes as racial tensions have grown in some northern towns, hit by economic decline and falling populations.

There are fears that an increase in faith schools, admitting children strictly on religious observance, could reinforce mono-cultural education.

Max Steinberg, chair of governors at the King David secondary school in Liverpool, does not share these fears- at one level. The Jewish population in the North-west has reduced considerably and King David, a co-educational comprehensive, has accommodated this.

The school’s Jewish pupils, now just 30 per cent of the total, study according to orthodox protocols, whatever denomination of Judaism pupils come from. The school seeks to fill the remainder of its places with pupils of other faiths (rather than of none) and they study alongside their Jewish classmates.

King David has been innovative in delivering this mix of tradition and social inclusion. Its board of governors is divided two-third Jewish and one-third from other faiths.

Steinberg says governors wanted all pupils and staff to live their faith:

“The governing body insists that students are encouraged to express their faith. The majority are definitely religious and there are special services and non-Jewish assemblies.”

But he was confident about the recent appointment of a non-Jewish head, Roman Catholic John Smartt: “We believe our clear Jewish ethos is an asset and the head also sees it as such. This is not multi-cultural. It is a Jewish school where faiths meet and students learn to value each other’s faith.”

The impact of faith on the cultural make-up of a school is a fraught topic. The Government’s proposals for more faith schools requires them to demonstrate their inclusiveness either by admitting some children of other faiths or none, or by collaborating with other schools and organisations. It has rejected a 25 per cent quota, despite support from the Church of England and some MPs.

Fears that single-faith schools might become mono-cultural have been heightened in areas where race riots have been linked to ethnic groups living separate lives. Two Church of England secondaries in Oldham have been accused of racial exclusion because of their faith-based admission policies.

Nearby Rochdale also has a substantial Muslim population. There are no Muslim schools but the heavily over-subscribed St Cuthbert’s Catholic secondary has a policy of admitting only Catholics.

Paul Rowen, an LEA governor and a practising Catholic, argues that the nature of Catholicism means the school has a wide range of nationalities and cultures despite its mono-faith composition. But he accepts that the number of Asian pupils is low.

He says it does not contribute to social division: “This is not a school issue - it is about society, and the churches in Rochdale are very active in the inter-faith group. I represent a ward with a large number of Muslims and we are working hard to break down barriers.

“But there is a great similarity between people of all faiths,” he adds:

“The elements are very close - the emphasis on family values for instance.”

Ghulam Shazad has also spent more than 20 years in cross-community work in the town, many of them as a school governor at two LEA schools. He is a member of the local REstanding advisory council.

The religious needs of Muslim children are met, he says, after school in the mosques and he is wary of single-faith schools: “If we have single-faith schools I am concerned that it will not help the growth of children. If you live in a multi-cultural, multi-faith society there must be interaction.” He would prefer religious teachers to come into schools for 45 minutes a day to ensure that Muslims had access to proper faith education.

Foundation governors and all governors of faith are faced with difficult decisions. How far can schools simply cater for religious needs, or do they have a bigger role in ensuring social cohesion?

For individual governors many issues - including racial tension and government legislation - are beyond their control. Yet, in between sub-committees and school concerts, they must find time for one of society’s hardest questions: the identity of people in Britain today.

CHURCH COMMITMENT SECURES A PLACE

CHILDREN in Bury, Lancashire, have little chance of getting into the town’s Anglican high school if their family’s church attendance record is poor.

A letter from the local vicar is needed to help secure a place at Bury Church of England high school - and ministers only provide one if they are satisfied that applicants are practising Christians. The Rev Paul Gully, who ministers to three C of E parishes, confirmed that he and his colleagues refer to records of attendance when handling school applicants.

The school’s admission policy states: “The governors will ask clergy to verify all applications in respect of the church membership, attendance and involvement of children and parents.”

Mr Gully is clear about the process: “The churches keep registers and we ask clergy to sign to say families are attending regularly.”

Monthly attendance is not impressive, he adds, but a couple of visits a month is “a different sort of commitment”. Factors such as marriage break-up can impede attendance. “Sometimes we are told that children ‘go to Dad’ on Sundays.”

Gully is also a foundation governor at another Anglican secondary school in Bolton and a primary, and taught at Bury High before seeking ordination.

At St James’s secondary, in Bolton, there is more scope to admit those of other faiths or no faith at all. In the primary school, 54 per cent are from Hindu and Muslim families, rising to 90 per cent for recent nursery intakes. Admission to St James’s is on a points system which includes attendance at the Church of England primary and “community activities” by parents, says Gully.

He recognises the dilemmas: “I experience some of the struggles that faith governors go through in reconciling what we mean by a C of E school.

“There are governors in some places who would want a CofE school to be for CofE children only. In Bury it’s on the basis of attendance at a Christian church.

“Other-faith children will get in when there are not enough applications from Christians. It’s all supply and demand and there are some years where demand drops and you do not have any choice about who you take.”

He believes the Government is not as concerned about faith schools taking children from other backgrounds as it makes out.

“Lord Dearing (who carried out last year’s review of Anglican schools) has said that this is the way the Church of England should move. To make a change overnight would be difficult. It would have to evolve over time.”

He has no problem with other faiths being allowed to set up schools but feels that social separation also happens in maintained schools and is not exclusive to church schools.