If only all religious leaders shared the views of the Rabbi of Maidenhead synagogue:
It is not only teachers who are worried about the proliferation of faith schools (report, Apr 12); so too are a number of religious leaders. We do not question the integrity of such schools, but we are concerned about their unintended impact. Separating children means dividing them, and eventually producing a whole generation that is ghettoised and ill at ease with itself. Schools should build bridges, not erect barriers.
Faith schools also divide the parents and cut a large swath through society. If, as most faiths profess, we should love our neighbour as ourselves, then we have to know our neighbour properly in order to fulfil that command, not shy away from him.
Precisely because I take my faith seriously I sent my children to a school where they could sit next to a Muslim, play football with an Anglican and walk home with an atheist. My children benefit from seeing them as fellow human beings and from understanding their perspectives. Hopefully, those children also gain insights as to what it means to be Jewish.
As Britain is becoming more multifaith and multicultural, it is essential that we strive to maintain contact with each other. Schools should ensure that they handle all faiths in a comfortable way, while religious identity should come from the home and after-school activities.
I admit that there are many advantages to faith schools, but social cohesion and the long-term good of society should be a higher priority.
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