Education officials in Great Britain are shutting down a Christian school after its staff failed to teach students to be more tolerant of other religions. Officials from Britain’s Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) pointed out in a recent report that Durham Free School has been teaching its students about Christianity only and not multiculturalism.
“Leaders are failing to prepare students for life in modern Britain. Some students hold discriminatory views of other people who have different faiths, values or beliefs,” the report stated.
The report also condemned the school’s hiring process, saying the interviewers place too much importance on religious credentials when they are in search of key staff.
However, school officials disputed OFSTED’s claims, saying there are several irregularities in the action the government has been taking. Dozens of parents wrote to the education officials, saying the school’s teachings have made a huge difference to the lives of their children. According to them, their children are receiving quality education and have not had to face bullying as they had to in other schools they attended before.
“I'm not a religious person, but it's important to me that my child grows up knowing how to treat people, as well as how to pass exams. The school's core values offer an excellent grounding for all children growing up in modern Britain,” one parent said.
“Giving our children the values of Christianity has to be embraced; as difficult as it will be given the peer pressures of modern life, having a moralistic outlook will benefit them and indeed their children and the future,” another parent wrote.
On its website, the school claims that 100 percent of parents who responded to a survey conducted last year, said their child feels happy and safe within the premises of Durham Free School. Additionally, 98 percent of the 68 parents who responded to a different anti-bullying survey in December 2014 said the school tackles that issue rather effectively.
Photo Credits: Chronicle Live
