Education officials in the United Kingdom are shutting down a Christian school, accusing staff of not teaching the students to be more tolerant of other religions.
Officials at the British Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) targeted Durham Free School in a report that condemns them for teaching their Christian beliefs instead of 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 states.
The report also blasts the Christian school’s hiring practices, saying: “Governors place too much emphasis on religious credentials when they are recruiting key staff.”
School officials dispute the report, stating: “There are a number of irregularities in the action that the government is taking.”
The Durham Free School has until early February to dispute the report, and they’re vowing to fight to stay open.
Dozens of parents have written to defend the school, saying it has made a big difference in their childrens’ lives. Their testimonials say their children are receiving an excellent education and have even blossomed after facing bullying in previous schools.
“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.
The OFSTED report also accuses the school of not doing enough to fight bullying of students.
But the school states on its website that 100 percent of parents who replied to a survey stated that their child is happy there, and their child feels safe.
And 98 percent of the 64 parents who responded to an anti-bullying questionnaire in December said the school managed bullying effectively. And the testimonials back up that survey.
“There’s no way I’d send my daughter to any other school. She was badly bullied at primary school; now she’s up and dressed and ready to go to school at 6:30 AM. For her to come in from school with a smile on her face is everything,” another parent wrote.
