The recent Westminster Faith Debates, spearheaded by Charles Clarke and Linda Woodhead, generated a pamphlet focused on the relationship between religion and state in England today with particular reference to education.
The authors state that ‘seven decades after 1944 (R.A. Butler’s Education Act), the time is overdue for a new settlement in the relationship between religion and schools. The old settlement no longer works as well as it needs to for the benefit of schools, religion and wider society.
The consultation looked in depth at these issues in an effort to find practical ways in which they might be addressed.
List of participants
Mr Alan Brine | Lead Consultant Culham St Gabriel’s Trust
Dr Priscilla Chadwick | Chair of Trustees Culham St Gabriel’s Trust
Dr Mark Chater | Director Culham St Gabriel’s Trust
Rt Hon Charles Clarke | Visiting Professor in Politics and Faith University of Lancaster
Mr Andrew Copson | Chief Executive British Humanist Association
Professor Adam Dinham | Director Faiths and Civil Society Unit Goldsmiths, University of London
Mr Stephen Evans | Campaigns Manager National Secular Society
Dr Robert Freathy | Associate Professor of History of Education University of Exeter
Professor Brian Gates | Emeritus Professor of Religion, Ethics & Education University of Cumbria
Mr David Hampshire | Chair National Association of Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education
Mr Jay Harman | Faith Schools and Education Campaigner British Humanist Association
Ms Joanne Harris | Head of Humanities Broughton High School / National Association of Teachers of Religious Education
Mr Derek Holloway | School Character and SIAMS Development Manager Education Office of the Church of England
Professor Robert Jackson | Emeritus Professor in Religions and Education, Visiting Professor in Education University of Warwick, Stockholm University
Dr Jagbir Jhutti-Johal | Senior Lecturer in Theology and Religion University of Birmingham
Dr Manon Jones | Head of Curriculum Design & Development – Humanities & Languages, Literacy and Communication Welsh Government
Mr John Keast | Consultant Former Chair RE Council of England and Wales; currently Culham St Gabriel’s Trust
Ms Sarah Lane | Education Officer Free Churches Group
Mr Rudolf Eliott Lockhart | Chief Executive Officer Religious Education Council of England and Wales
Mr Neil McKain | Head of Religious Studies Pipers Corner School
Dr Joyce Miller | Associate Fellow, WRERU University of Warwick
Mrs Elizabeth Oldfield | Director Theos think tank
Professor Stephen Parker | Professor of the History of Religion and Education University of Worcester
Dr Elizabeth Passmore | Chief Schools Adjudicator Office of the Schools Adjudicator
Ms Catherine Pepinster | Editor The Tablet
Mr Simon Perfect | Associate Tutor School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) / Theos think tank
Mr Paul Pettinger | National Coordinator Accord Coalition
Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain | Chair Accord Coalition
Dr Abdullah Sahin | Head of Research and Senior Lecturer in Islamic Studies and Education Markfield Institute of Higher Education
Professor Alison Scott-Baumann | Professor of Society and Belief School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)
Mr Tony Smith | Ex-Chief Education Officer
Professor Linda Woodhead | Professor of Sociology of Religion Lancaster University
