article_snippet.sent: Church of England schools should stop selecting pupils on faith because Church of England schools discriminates against the poor, a group of vicars has claimed.
article_snippet.sent: a group of vicars say the system is open to abuse and many oversubscribed schools reject non-churchgoing families even though non-churchgoing families may live nearby.
article_snippet.sent: In an open letter published yesterday, an alliance of Left-leaning clergy and laypeople called for an end to religious selection.
article_snippet.sent: Left-leaning clergy and laypeople claimed the Church was being ‘turned to the advantage of those who are already advantaged’, and said the Church presented a ‘slow-burning crisis’.
article_snippet.sent: The letter said: ‘On a superficial level this is in the Church’s interest, as attendance figures in many parishes are inflated and the standard of our schools boosted by the admittance of children from more affluent families.
article_snippet.sent: Ultimately however the universality of Church is being turned to the advantage of those who are already advantaged.
article_snippet.sent: We urge Church to review and then amend Church national guidance on pupil admissions, so that schools are guided towards having open admission arrangements.
article_snippet.sent: ‘Church schools should look outwards, as an expression of the warmth and generosity of Church of England schools mission to the whole community.
article_snippet.sent: Yesterday, a Church of England schools spokesman said:
article_snippet.sent: Rev Nigel Genders, the Church’s chief education officer, said the Church’s secondary schools have an average of 10 per cent selection by religious criteria and some have more pupils on free school meals than the national average.
article_snippet.sent: We run Christian schools for everyone, providing an inclusive and effective education, We are not – as the article seems to imply – running schools for middle class Christians.
article_snippet.sent: There’s a push to try to secularise Church schools and it’s a shame that a group of liberal Anglicans are playing into that.
highlights_snippet.sent: Group of vicars say CoE schools should stop selecting pupils on faith .
  
highlights_snippet.sent: But vicars argue the system is open to abuse and oversubscribed schools may reject non-churchgoing families even though non-churchgoing families may live nearby .
  