Following the debate in the Commons last week, the Equality Bill has now moved to the Lords. On Tuesday 15 December it will have its ‘Second Reading’ which gives peers the chance to raise any issues they have with the Bill. The Lords stages of the Bill are the best chance that Accord has to improve the legal protections for teachers in faith schools.

The changes to the law that Accord has been arguing for would ensure that teachers in faith schools enjoy the same protections against religious discrimination as other employees in organisations with a religious character.

In principle, Accord is opposed to all discrimination against staff in state funded schools on the grounds of their beliefs, religious or otherwise. However, we believe that many people would be horrified to discover the fact that teachers in state funded schools have fewer rights than those working in religious charities when it comes to religious discrimination.

Whereas almost all other employers have to show that discrimination is an “occupational requirement” of a particular post, faith schools can impose a blanket requirement that all teachers be co-religionists, or that believers are “preferred”. This extends not only to recruitment, but to pay and promotion – meaning that teachers may see their career options limited because of their religious beliefs, or lack of them.

Worse still, any teacher at a voluntary aided faith school—which are the majority of state-funded religious schools—can be dismissed for “conduct…incompatible with the precepts, or with the upholding of the tenets of the religion” of the school. This can include private conduct, and at least one case has been reported of a head teacher being forced out of his post for marrying a divorcee: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jul/22/headteacher-remarry-forced-resignation

Accord believes that it is vitally important for the law to be changed so that teachers at the very least have the same legal protections as employees in private organisations with a religious ethos.

If you are interested in finding out more details about the issue then please read our lastest briefing here: http://www.accordcoalition.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Equality-Bill-Employment-Briefing-Dec-09.pdf