Church of England schools in England may soon see the attendance of fewer Christian students, as new admission guidelines seek to cater to the “local community,” including those of no religion.
Chief education officer Rev. Nigel Genders said that the shift actually began years ago when the government made a new rule, ordering half of religious schools to accept non-religious pupils. “In practice, most of the new schools that the Church of England has provided over recent years have all been entirely open admissions policies so that they would serve their local community.”
“We’re now responding to pressure on pupil places and wanting to serve local areas with the high quality of education that our schools provide. It’s no surprise that they will become more open in their admissions policies to enable them to do so.”
Christianity Today reports that the schools intend to remain “rooted in Christian heritage and the person of Jesus Christ.”
“It is not just about the academic results, it is about them being formed with Christian character so children can play a full part in society; so they are rounded human being, they are courageous, they are full of integrity, they are passionate about justice,” Genders said.
Publication date: June 12, 2014
