Source: The Guardian (London)
LONDON, ENGLAND, July 8, 2002: The Church of England has thrown its weight behind an extraordinary proposal to unite Muslim, Jewish, Christian and Hindu children in the country’s first multi-faith secondary school. The plans, backed by leading figures from all four of Britain’s main religious groups, are aimed at transforming the image of faith-based education which has been criticized in the wake of last summer’s race riots. They hope that the 1,000-pupil school planned for the London borough of Westminster will be the first of a series of similar ventures around the country. Few of the day-to-day details have yet been finalized, but the school’s promoters are determined that children from the separate religious traditions will learn, eat and play side by side, although there will be some compromise over religious education and collective worship. Muslim and Hindu parents have long been keen to enroll their children at Anglican schools where they feel religion is taken seriously. A spokesman for the Department for Education said: “It’s encouraging to see different faiths working together.”