The Diocese of Lichfield has taken the unusual step of issuing a Rationale for Church of England Schools following a number of years in which the role of faith in schools has come under fire by commentators and sections of the media.
The dossier, compiled by the diocese’s Director of Education, Colin Hopkins, defends Church of England Schools and says criticisms of them are often based on falsehoods and incorrect assumptions.
In it, Mr Hopkins explained the role the Church of England played in establishing thousands of schools around the country nearly 200 years ago to provide “elementary education for the masses at a time when the state did not”. It took the 1870 Education Act for state schools to become established to supplement denominational provision.
In an interview with The Times, David Cameron unwittingly reinforced a widely held myth about Church schools when he came out in support of the so-called "middle-class parents with sharp elbows" who pretend they are Christian in order to secure a spot for their children at top Church schools.
Mr Hopkins, however, debunked arguments that faith schools are educationally selective or divisive, saying, “Our schools have a tradition of serving the whole of the community and neighbourhood in which they are located."
He said that meant Church of England schools were therefore serving not only children from Christian families, but also children from all backgrounds and faiths, as well as those of no faith.
"We are simply not engaged in a separatist or sectarian endeavour," he said.
Mr Hopkins continued: “It is sometimes alleged that Church schools are engaged in a covert process of social selection, 'creaming off' the best pupils. The reality is that, as inclusive institutions, Church schools will reflect the communities in which they are located.
