THE Church of England's incoming chief education officer, the
Revd Nigel Genders, this week argued for a widespread public
discussion to define British values. "What we understand by British
values should emanate from a broad public conversation, and not
from limited consultations on academy- or nursery-funding
agreements," he said.
His comments followed the announcement by the new Secretary of
State for Education, Nicky Morgan, that the Government is planning
to extend the teaching of British values "at an age-appropriate
level", to under-fives in nurseries and other childcare
centres.
Mrs Morgan's announcement was part of her official response to a
recently completed consultation on early-years education, which
said that councils would be given the powers to withdraw funding
from providers, who might be suspected of promoting views at odds
with British values, including the rule of law, individual liberty,
democracy, and religious tolerance. Withdrawal of funds would also
be extended to nurseries that taught creationism as if it were
science.
"The Government is clear that it is not appropriate for public
money for early-years education to go to providers which do not
promote fundamental British values or which teach creationism as
science," she said.
But Mr Genders said that much of the current debate on British
values was driven by fear. "Nursery schools should be places where
children learn and develop in an atmosphere of mutual respect and
trust. In nursery schools across the country, Bible stories are
used as an effective way of enabling children to understand bigger
concepts about meaning and life, and the D of E has made it clear
that they are absolutely not saying you can't teach Bible
stories."
The consultation drew more than 400 responses. About half of
those came from members of the British Humanist Association, and
were limited to questions of creationism, it is understood.
Scores of nurseries are in churches and mosques, and for them
the interpretation of what is acceptable will be crucial, a
spokesperson for the National Day Nurseries Association said.
The Christian Institute, a conservative Evangelical organisation
based in Tyneside, said that the planned regulations, which are
subject to further consultation, could adversely affect child-care
providers that had a religious ethos and traditional beliefs. The
director of the Institute, Colin Hart, said that it was considering
a legal challenge to the way in which the consultation was carried
out.
Headteacher associations have also criticised the rules on
values for primary and secondary academies and free schools, which
come into force in September. A spokesman for the Association of
School and College Leaders warned, on Tues-day, that the rules
could have unintended consequences.
Press