MAT-commissioned report omits faith school discrimination evidence

A report into the educational outcomes of white working class children omitted evidence of discrimination by faith schools, the National Secular Society (NSS) has reported.

Although backed by the government, the report was commissioned by Star Academies, a multi-academy trust of Muslim schools.

The NSS said Star Academies' leading role in the inquiry raised "concerns about potential conflicts of interest", particularly given the lack of criticism for religiously selective admissions, which the NSS contends leads to fewer places for underprivileged chldren.

National Secular Society spokesperson Jack Rivington said: "It's unfathomable that the Independent Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes has omitted all evidence of the effects of religious admissions on disadvantaged pupils. This omission leaves a huge gap its findings.

"Faith schools are hubs of relative advantage, with their ability to discriminate against families who don't share their religious beliefs functioning as a form of social selection.

"In its final report, the inquiry rightly states that doing more of the same is unlikely to solve the problem, yet on religious admissions, it fails to challenge the status quo. The government has indicated it will be relying on the findings of the inquiry, a concerning prospect given it appears to have discounted research it finds politically unpalatable."