---
title: "Research suggests religious schools are the most racially segregated"
date: "2013-10-18T11:18:37+01:00"
modified: "2013-10-18T11:18:37+01:00"
url: "https://rationalists.org.uk/2013/10/18/research-suggests-religious-schools-are-the-most-racially-segregated/"
post_id: 5986
categories: ["Uncategorised"]
---

# Research suggests religious schools are the most racially segregated

Research by the British Humanist Association has found that religious schools are the most ethnically segregated.

Comparison of the 2011 Census data and the latest education entry data shows that religious schools, particularly minority religious schools, generally fail to reflect the demographics of their areas.

While the average Muslim, Hindu and Sikh schools are situated in areas where a third of the population are “white British”, the majority of those schools have no “white British” pupils at all, while the rest have only one or two.

Statistics for Jewish schools reveal similar issues – while the average Jewish school is situated in an area where 12 per cent of people are “Asian”, most Jewish schools have no “Asian” pupils at all.

The research also reveals that many Catholic schools fail to reflect local demographics. If 1,985 schools, 245 have no “Asian” pupils. Catholic schools typically have 4.4 per cent fewer “Asian” pupils than would be expected for schools in their area.

The research supports concerns that, as the number of religious schools in England and Wales increases, segregation of children from different ethnic backgrounds is becoming more pronounced.

Professor Ted Cantle, founder of the Institute of Community Cohesion, expressed concern about community segregation in his report on the 2001 riots in Oldham, Bradford and Leeds, and in response to the research argues that religious schools are exacerbating the problem:

> In 2001 my report into the race riots pointed to the dangers of “parallel lives”, with segregated Church schools being identified as a cause. After this some changes did follow. But now we are going backwards with the increasing balkanisation of children in schools, including a large number in the same areas.
> 
> Exclusion of children from schools on the basis of faith or ethnicity is now becoming more and more prevalent. Children who grow up with no knowledge of others, with no friends from other backgrounds and with no understanding of other religions and ethnic groups, stand little chance of being able to challenge stereotypes and avoid prejudice.

Further details of the research can be found [on the British Humanist Association website](https://humanism.org.uk/2013/10/18/religious-schools-racially-segregated-state-schools-new-findings-show/).