New Clause 18 — No requirements of attendance at a place of religious worship (No. 2)
Orders of the Day — Education Bill — [2nd Allotted Day]
9:44 pm
'(1) It shall not be required, as a condition of a pupil being admitted to a maintained school, that:
(a) he must attend or abstain from attending a place of religious worship;
(b) his parents or guardians must attend or abstain from attending a place of religious worship;
(c) the pupil, his parent(s) or guardian(s) belong to a particular faith or denomination.
(2) The local education authority after consultation with the admission forum may by regulation authorise that, notwithstanding (1) a maintained school may admit between 20 per cent. and 75 per cent. of pupils who have a particular faith or denomination.
(3) Where the local education authority is informed that there are sufficient applications to a particular maintained school to fill the available places, the local education authority may after consultation with the admission forum authorise an increase up to 100 per cent. in the numbers of pupils admitted who are of the particular faith or denomination of the maintained school in question.
(4) This section shall only have effect in respect of schools established after the coming into force of this Act.'.—[Mr. Willis.]
Brought up, and read the First time.
Motion made, and Question put, That the clause be read a Second time:—
The House divided: Ayes 86, Noes 409.