Some say that there is no difference between the parties. I spend most of my time on these blogs pointing out why this is not true

Update: The full version of this piece can be found on the Guardian's Comment is Free website.

According to the Catholic Education Service it is spurious to suggest that removing the absolute right of a religious community to educate its own children by introducing a percentage non-faith quota for Church schools would aid social cohesion. I'm not so sure. Why? Well as someone whose teaching career was solely in the VA RC sector I would argue that it is neither spurious nor indeed contrary to the mission of the Church. Indeed I would go further and challenge the CES to publish a complete list of Catholic schools (secondary in particular) where it is already custom and practice that between 20% - 30% of the intake is from other faith backgrounds or none.

If a synonym was ever sought for "anti-religion," then probably my name might come up. At least among the circles I move in, if not among the general population. Despite this, I rather think that this announcement of a policy document to be presented at NUT Conference proves to be interesting.

Parliamentary seminar on Tuesday May 22nd at 5.30pm (Portcullis House) chaired by David Chaytor MP.

Speakers are Sarah Tough, author of the recent IPPR report on school admissions, Rev Jan Ainsworth Church of England Chief Education Officer and Professor Anne West who will talk about her latest research.

This seminar is hosted by Comprehensive Future - if you would like to attend email Mike Ion at:

mike-ion@hotmail.co.uk

This Government's desire to tackle the roots of social exclusion and Tony Blair's personal pledge to improve the lot of the poorest in society is both admirable and encouraging. I also applaud, both as a teacher and a practising Christian, Blair's determination to break the cycle of deprivation and low expectations that are all too often symptomatic of urban, inner-city Britain. Apart from raising benefits the most effective means of lifting people out of poverty is to raise their educational aspirations and standards. Evidence would strongly suggest that a comprehensive system of schooling is far more effective than any other in raising standards overall. However, the continued support of Christian Churches for selective schools is surely at odds with their commitment to social justice and perhaps the time is now right that as a we ask: what is the point of selective faith schools?

The Labour Party home page is currently running a poll on faith schools. They are polling the question, "Should new faith schools be forced to admit pupils of a different faith if there is demand?"

Once you have voted here, you are taken to this page where you can put a question to Education Minister Jim Knight MP.

Jim kindly spoke to Labourhome about the proposal for non-faith quotas in faith schools

According to Oona Stannard (Director of the Catholic Education Service) it is `spurious to suggest that to take away a religious community's right to firstly educate its own children and to instead give preference to others, for example, by introducing a 30% non-faith quota for Church schools, would aid social cohesion.' Really? As someone whose teaching career has been solely in the VA RC sector I would argue that it is neither spurious nor indeed contrary to the mission of the Church. Indeed I would go further and challenge the CES to publish a complete list of Catholic schools (secondary in particular) where it is already custom and practice that between 20% - 30% of the intake is from other faith backgrounds or none.