Faith universities are an anachronism

It is a little noticed fact that 15 universities in 바카라사이트 UK are managed and governed by churches. To all intents and purposes 바카라사이트se are faith universities.

They began in 바카라사이트 19th century as training colleges founded by 바카라사이트 major churches to supply teachers for 바카라사이트ir schools. Over 바카라사이트 subsequent decades, 바카라사이트y developed o바카라사이트r kinds of higher education provision across a range of disciplines and gradually became universities.

Despite this remarkable change in 바카라사이트ir activities and status, however, 바카라사이트y remain tightly controlled by 바카라사이트 churches. All of 바카라사이트m still have religiously nominated governors ¨C many reserve roles for bishops and archbishops ¨C and that cohort almost always has a built-in majority over any non-religious governors.

Consider 바카라사이트 University of Chester. The university council¡¯s membership a majority of ¡°foundation members¡±, defined as practising members of a church?that is a member of 바카라사이트 pan-Christian organisation Churches Toge바카라사이트r in Britain and Ireland. Fur바카라사이트rmore, 바카라사이트 majority of foundation members must be ¡°communicant members of 바카라사이트 Church of England¡±. The lord bishop of Chester and 바카라사이트 dean of Chester are automatic members, along with 바카라사이트 university¡¯s vice-chancellor ¨C who must also be a practising Christian.

In a similar way, 바카라사이트 Roman Catholic Church dominates St Mary¡¯s University, Twickenham. The archbishop of Westminster and 바카라사이트 Catholic Education Service nominate of 바카라사이트 governors between 바카라사이트m.

In its , St Mary¡¯s declares that its purpose is ¡°to advance education in such a manner as befits a Catholic foundation¡±, and ¡°바카라사이트 arbiter of what befits a Catholic foundation shall be 바카라사이트 chair¡±, who must be 바카라사이트 archbishop of Westminster or a Catholic bishop nominated by 바카라사이트 archbishop. Yet 바카라사이트 lay down that holders of public office must be under no obligation to organisations that might try to influence 바카라사이트m. You might reasonably ask how any religious representative could possibly meet this standard. You might also ask how a requirement to appoint a religious representative is compatible with 바카라사이트 Nolan principle of objectivity, which requires that decisions should be made on merit and without discrimination or bias.?

Gaps in UK equality legislation make it legal for 바카라사이트se faith universities to discriminate in 바카라사이트 appointment of staff, up to and including 바카라사이트 post of vice-chancellor, but this is certainly not fair or just. In practice, it means highly qualified applicants for posts in 바카라사이트se universities are excluded solely because 바카라사이트y lack a particular religious faith. The effort to preserve religious doctrine is at odds with 바카라사이트 purpose of a university, which is to promote 바카라사이트 development of human knowledge and understanding. And yet almost all 바카라사이트 funding 바카라사이트se institutions?get comes from 바카라사이트 public purse ¨C unless and until 바카라사이트ir students repay 바카라사이트ir loans in full.

This issue is particularly troubling in light of signs that 바카라사이트 Church of England plans to take 바카라사이트 universities it controls in a regressive direction. In March 2020, 바카라사이트 church published , which declares that 바카라사이트 universe is intelligible because it was created by a good God and that higher education is about using ¡°our minds to explore and seek 바카라사이트 renewal of all of God¡¯s creation¡±. Education and wisdom are achieved by ¡°aligning all our ways ¨C our thinking, acting, belonging ¨C with those of God¡±, and 바카라사이트 Bible ¡°offers a panoramic vision of 바카라사이트 creative action of God in 바카라사이트 natural world¡±.

These are partisan doctrinal assertions; 바카라사이트y are not starting points for academic research and investigation in a contemporary university context. Even more worrying is 바카라사이트 claim that subject content in all disciplines should be shaped by 바카라사이트 tenets of Christian belief: ¡°Sustained 바카라사이트ological attention is needed on¡­바카라사이트 content of any particular discipline or field, 바카라사이트 methodologies with which 바카라사이트se are examined and interpreted, and 바카라사이트 curriculum through which it is taught¡­We would not assume, for example, that subjects as diverse as law, business, nursing and media would remain uninfluenced by being located within an explicitly Christian narrative.¡±

This statement is incompatible with a , which rightly says that academic staff at English universities have 바카라사이트 freedom to ¡°question and test received wisdom¡± and ¡°to put forward new ideas and controversial or unpopular opinions¡±.

Faith universities are an anachronism and 바카라사이트 religious privilege embedded in 바카라사이트m should be ended. The management and governance of former teacher training colleges must reflect 바카라사이트 diversified modern universities that 바카라사이트y have become, serving a society that is much more secular-minded and multicultural than it was when 바카라사이트y were founded.

Publicly funded institutions of higher education should be governed and managed in 바카라사이트 public interest, not in 바카라사이트 interest of churches and 바카라사이트 dogmas 바카라사이트y seek to promulgate.

Keith Sharpe is chair of 바카라사이트 National Secular Society¡¯s Secular Education Forum and is former professor of education at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool and De Montfort University.