Four religious groups, representing 99 per cent of all faith schools, have hit back at claims by a group including a former Archbishop of Canterbury that allowing schools to select pupils on the basis of religion would be divisive.

The Church of England, Catholics, Methodists and Jews have united to argue that their schools are “impressive drivers of community cohesion” and help foster a sense of connectedness between cultures.

Last week, a group of 70 religious leaders, education experts and public figures - including the last Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams - signed a joint letter calling on education secretary Damian Hinds to reconsider plans to lift the faith-schools cap.

At the moment, new faith free schools are only allowed to select 50 per cent of pupils on the basis of religion. Lifting the cap would allow them to select the entire intake by faith.

‘Drivers of community cohesion’

In a joint response to the letter signed by Dr Williams, the four religious groups said: “It is precisely because of our faith ethos that our schools remain exceptionally popular with parents.  

“Our schools are drivers of community cohesion, whether that is through educating children from all cultures, creeds and communities, or the impressive programmes they run to connect their pupils with children from other religions and beliefs.

“As the representatives of the faith communities which actually run the vast majority of these schools, we reject the suggestion that they are divisive, and are proud of what they achieve for their pupils, and for our country as a whole.”

‘Enabling children to live well together’

The statement has been issued jointly by the Reverend Nigel Genders, chief education officer of the Church of England, Paul Barber, director of the Catholic Education Service, Barbara Easton, director of education for the Methodist Church in Britain, and Gillian Merron, cheif executive of the board of deputies of British Jews.

Mr Genders said that every Church of England school he has visited taught a significant proportion of pupils of other faiths or none.

“We are proud to be offering an education which enables children to live well together,” he said.

“Research shows that church schools are more effective at enabling differences of religion and belief to be discussed, so children can understand and relate well to people of a different faith to their own.”

And Mr Barber pointed out that his schools were among the most ethnically diverse in the country. “We strongly reject that Catholic schools are anything other than open and welcoming places to all,” he said.

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