Faith schools ghettoes for the middle class, warns think-tank
Headteachers should be stripped of the power to pick pupils amid fears the best schools are colonised by middle-class children, according to one of Tony Blair’s favourite think-tanks.
The IPPR says faith schools are 10 times more likely to be over-run with middle-class children compared to other schools
Faith schools, which can select according to religious belief, are 10 times more likely to be “highly unrepresentative” of the children in their local communities, said the report published today by the Institute for Public Policy Research.
When a New Labour think tank criticises Government policy, will it make a difference? That would mean admitting they’re wrong.
Lord Adonis, the schools minister, last night rejected the IPPR’s recommendations.
“We agree that ability banding can be an effective way of widening access, but schools should have the power and freedom to set their own admissions policies according to local needs.
“The report is wrong to suggest that schools operate in a vacuum – by law they must consult widely on their proposed admission arrangements, with any objections being ruled on by the independent schools adjudicator.”
Tags: Faith+schools, Education, IPPR, Politics