Teaching jobs could be filled according to religious beliefs, critics claim

February 18 2011

Academy schools could leave themselves open to legal action should they ask that candidates for new teaching jobs tick certain religious boxes.

That is according to one law firm, which has pointed out the potential legal implications of the government's latest education reform plans.

Beachcroft LLP has warned that, should education secretary Michael Gove go ahead with plans to allow academies to fill teaching jobs on religious grounds, schools could be hit by a wave of legal cases as teaching professionals claim they are being discriminated against.

Also opposing the plans, the National Secular Society has argued that such a development would take away the 'statutory protections' currently enjoyed by those in teaching jobs up and down the country.

"Staff should be treated with equal respect whatever their faith or lack of it and not be forced into pretending to hold beliefs that they do not have, in order to retain their jobs," its director Keith Porteous Wood said.

Since Mr Gove announced plans to expand the government's academy programme, around 171 schools have switched to take advantage of the status.

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