Wales Humanists is calling on the Welsh Government to carry out a national review of faith-school provision, as councils face difficult decisions about closing schools because of falling pupil numbers and a changing religious landscape.
The call comes as Pembrokeshire County Council meets to consider dropping plans to remove the Church in Wales status from Ysgol Cilgerran, after the Church in Wales disputed the council’s right to keep using the school site.
‘Councils’ hands tied’
Kathy Riddick, campaigns and policy manager for Wales at Humanists UK, said: “Wales is facing profound demographic change, and we are going to have to make difficult decisions about the number and type of schools we maintain. If community schools are being closed because there are too few pupils and too many places, faith schools should not be automatically protected from the same scrutiny.”
She said the Cilgerran case showed that councils responding to falling rolls “can find their hands tied when a church holds the land”, adding: “That is why we need a national review, rather than leaving local authorities to fight these battles one school at a time.”
“Faith schools can restrict admissions according to religion and give preference to teachers on religious grounds, whereas community schools are open to everyone equally,” Riddick said. “We are calling for the Welsh Government to ensure that universal access, equality, and sustainability are considered when deciding which schools Wales can afford to retain.”
Falling rolls and a less religious Wales
Swansea forecasts more than 5,000 fewer pupils by 2032, while Welsh Government projections suggest Wales could have around 100,000 fewer pupils over the next 15 years.
The 2021 Census found that 46% of people in Wales described themselves as having no religion, up from 32% in 2011, while the proportion identifying as Christian fell from 58% to 43%. For the first time, ‘no religion’ was the largest response to the religion question in Wales.
The Cilgerran U-turn
In May, Pembrokeshire councillors voted to remove the Church in Wales status from Ysgol Cilgerran and re-establish it as a community school, following a review of surplus places and a significant fall in the local pupil population. The Church in Wales formally objected and warned of legal action, and the Catholic Church also urged the council to drop the plan.
A report going to councillors now recommends abandoning the change, citing legal questions about ending the school’s current status and continuing to use a site held in trust for a Church in Wales school. Elsewhere, proposals in Flintshire would see four Catholic schools close and be replaced by a new Catholic super-school.
Wales Humanists wants a national review, as part of the Welsh Government’s response to falling pupil numbers, to cover religious admissions criteria, employment practices and whether separate faith-school provision remains sustainable where there are significant surplus places.
