Striking a Balance – Nurturing Religious Freedom but Retaining Secularism

In 2014, the rules around teaching evolution and creationism were extensively changed within the UK. These rules made it so that any state funded school must ensure adequate teaching about the theory of evolution and preventing the teaching of ‘creationism’ as a scientific fact.

The current funding agreement provides that state schools:

“…must provide for the teaching of evolution as a comprehensive, coherent and extensively evidenced theory. In respect of any Alternative Provision Academies and 16-19 Academies, the Academy Trust must do this where relevant to the curriculum.”

Despite this, a recent paper out of University College London shows that the largest provider of Christian based education materials, Accelerated Christian Education, are actively including such teachings within their works, such as stating:

“Scientific data also shows a rise in carbon dioxide levels in Earth’s atmosphere, but attempts to show a connection between rising global temperatures and rising carbon dioxide levels have failed.”

And:

“DNA has been found in fossils that some secular scientists claim are millions of years old … Scientists were surprised to find DNA in these ‘old’ fossils and were even more surprised to discover that the DNA was similar to modern DNA. If DNA has been constantly evolving over millions of years, its chemical makeup should be much different from modern DNA, but it is not.”

This is because private faith schools are not bound by the state funding agreement, namely because they are not state funded. The Independent School Standard Guidance states:

“Independent schools may teach creationism as part of a belief system but it should not be presented as having a similar or superior evidence base to scientific theories. On the other hand, schools should not suggest that those who hold creationist beliefs are not worthy of respect.”

However, this guidance is not being implemented in good faith and the research from UCL shows that numerous schools are still implementing the ACE curriculum. Humanists UK Education Campaign Manager, Robert Cann, has said that this guidance “…has clearly not deterred repeat offenders.”

But the real question appears to be, why does this even matter? If those with such religious beliefs wish to promote those beliefs to the absolute highest level, then shouldn’t they be free to do so, especially if it is within a school system specifically designed for students who follow those belief systems who are only funded by private payments… in short, who is this really hurting?

The answer, as with most human rights arguments where freedom of belief is the foundation, is with the balancing of rights. We live in a world marked by such diverse religious beliefs but also the constant and accelerating pursuit of progress – finding a balance between freedom of religion/belief/expression and the need to separate religion from the fundamentals of society is a delicate task. We do not, for example, allow FGM to be practiced or condoned in the UK, this is despite its deep-seated roots in cultural and religious practices. The reason for this, is due to the harm it causes.

We have for many years recognised that psychological, emotional, and developmental harm can be just as impactive, if not more so in many cases, than can physical harm. The development of a child or young person is most prominently fuelled by education, a system that spends 7 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 13 years influencing and moulding children into members of a wider society.

Article 29 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child provides that:

“States Parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to:
(a) The development of the child’s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential;
(b) The development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and for the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations;
(c) The development of respect for the child’s parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values, for the national values of the country in which the child is living, the country from which he or she may originate, and for civilizations different from his or her own;
(d) The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin;
(e) The development of respect for the natural environment”

Were this discussion about isolated communities, occupying their own societies, having no influence on any other individuals who do not follow their belief system, the argument may be more nuanced. But the situation at present is one where these schools are operating within the United Kingdom, those who attend and graduate go on to study at state universities, obtain jobs within the public sector or NHS, and contribute to the country as a whole in countless ways.

There is a need for balance, a balance which the UN Convention recognises, whilst it is entirely appropriate to ensure that culture, religion, and personal belief is not eroded by an education system, there must be balance with the rights and beliefs of the society within which that child will live and operate in. Schools which focus on the religious teachings as the base of education are likely to hinder the social cohesion and integration over secular education schools or schools that have the standard curriculum as the base and then add the religious teachings on top of this such as with dedicated religious studies classes. In a diverse society, especially one such as the UK, it is a vital requirement for people to develop wider understandings of cultures, beliefs, religions and worldviews, isolating students to a single religious belief may very well be isolating them from broader society.

In short, the rights of those within the wider society, as well as the specific rights of the children being exposed to extreme teachings, are vastly outweighing the right of such schools to teach these isolated and scientifically inaccurate curriculums. With that being said, the right to freedom of religion and belief and the right to freedom of expression are fundamental rights within any true democracy and these rights should not be interfered with lightly. Religious education is an important subject, especially for those who don’t hold those religious beliefs themselves as this exposes those students to the wider views and develops a capacity to understand and respect others’ beliefs.

In conclusion, striking a balance between nurturing religious freedom and retaining secularism in education is a delicate task. While it is important to respect individuals’ rights to practice their religious beliefs, it is equally important to ensure that education promotes critical thinking, scientific literacy, and respect for human rights. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child emphasises the need to prepare children for responsible life in a free society, fostering understanding, tolerance, and respect for diverse cultures and beliefs. While religious education has its place, schools should strike a balance that respects both religious freedoms and the rights and beliefs of the broader society. By doing so, we can create an inclusive educational environment that prepares students to be active and engaged citizens in a diverse and evolving world.

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*Whilst this article has relied on the recent UCL study which focused on Christian education schools, this is used solely as an example, there are schools which promote extreme versions of numerous other religions; however, these are a small percentage. There are hundreds of faith schools that provide a rounded and balanced curriculum and allow for individual belief and expression.

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