Weblog entry #254 for simonw
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#254
Religious discrimination enshrined in UK law?
Posted by simonw on Sat 17 May 2008 at 09:16
Most folks assume that since the passing of the Human Rights act, discrimination on grounds of religion or religious denomination would be illegal. Indeed it is clearly illegal and private sector employees are covered.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/DiscriminationAtWork/DG_10026449
However I saw an advert the other day saying;
"and preferably be a practising Christian"
Clearly exactly the kind of religious discrimination the act was introduced to cover. Who is the employer in question? Devon County Council.
Seems when they introduced the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 they left an exemption 39(1)(a), where schools with "a religious character" may prefer their own denomination, and may exclude people whose behaviour is at odds with their religious views.
However this advert seems to be in conflict with Devon County Councils claim to be an "equal opportunity employer", and I shall be writing to the Corporate Equality Officer to seek clarification of if they are an "Equal Opportunity" employer.
Todays lesson is about "Gesetz zur Wiederherstellung des Berufsbeamtentums"
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/DiscriminationAtWork/DG_10026449
However I saw an advert the other day saying;
"and preferably be a practising Christian"
Clearly exactly the kind of religious discrimination the act was introduced to cover. Who is the employer in question? Devon County Council.
Seems when they introduced the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 they left an exemption 39(1)(a), where schools with "a religious character" may prefer their own denomination, and may exclude people whose behaviour is at odds with their religious views.
However this advert seems to be in conflict with Devon County Councils claim to be an "equal opportunity employer", and I shall be writing to the Corporate Equality Officer to seek clarification of if they are an "Equal Opportunity" employer.
Todays lesson is about "Gesetz zur Wiederherstellung des Berufsbeamtentums"
Comments on this Entry
I like to think that I'm a tolerant liberal* but there are times that I believe that the special privileges that religions get are unacceptable in a modern society. I'd like to think I don't mind what people think, but I'm leaning more and more towards active secularisation of the UK.
* In the UK a liberal is a ideal not any particular political ideal. A Liberal is someone who is a member of the Liberal Democrat party - a party which is based on liberal ideas. One does not need to be a Liberal to be liberal. Indeed there is the quote "He was the most liberal of Conservatives and the most conservative of Liberals" - which refers to Sir Robert Peel I think, but Google hasn't found me a reference yet.
--
"It's Not Magic, It's Work"
Adam
* In the UK a liberal is a ideal not any particular political ideal. A Liberal is someone who is a member of the Liberal Democrat party - a party which is based on liberal ideas. One does not need to be a Liberal to be liberal. Indeed there is the quote "He was the most liberal of Conservatives and the most conservative of Liberals" - which refers to Sir Robert Peel I think, but Google hasn't found me a reference yet.
--
"It's Not Magic, It's Work"
Adam
[ Parent | Reply to this comment ]
I seem to have labeled myself as a "Secular Humanist", but in this instance it is not required to support secularization or humanism, one just needs to accept that discrimination is wrong.
The process of secularization in the UK education system will be difficult. Basically too many of our school buildings are owned by churches, it would either involve paying large sums to the church of England, or laying claim to those assets (because the state has largely paid for their upkeep). It might be possible to arrange it via rents, but there isn't the political will to start the process despite most people thinking such religious bias in education is a bad thing.
However the first baby step is to ensure that civil servants are not appointed on the basis of their religious beliefs. I'm very surprised this exemption exists. I'd be even more surprised if this exemption survived a challenge in court.
I'm somewhat less surprised that religious bigots would exercise their right to discriminate. There is no requirement in law that the governors need to discriminate, that is a choice made by the governors of the school in question.
One might have hoped at this stage in British Civilization, one wouldn't have to explain to the primary school governors about moral behaviour. And that just because the law doesn't prohibit something, doesn't mean it is the moral, decent or appropriate thing to do.
The process of secularization in the UK education system will be difficult. Basically too many of our school buildings are owned by churches, it would either involve paying large sums to the church of England, or laying claim to those assets (because the state has largely paid for their upkeep). It might be possible to arrange it via rents, but there isn't the political will to start the process despite most people thinking such religious bias in education is a bad thing.
However the first baby step is to ensure that civil servants are not appointed on the basis of their religious beliefs. I'm very surprised this exemption exists. I'd be even more surprised if this exemption survived a challenge in court.
I'm somewhat less surprised that religious bigots would exercise their right to discriminate. There is no requirement in law that the governors need to discriminate, that is a choice made by the governors of the school in question.
One might have hoped at this stage in British Civilization, one wouldn't have to explain to the primary school governors about moral behaviour. And that just because the law doesn't prohibit something, doesn't mean it is the moral, decent or appropriate thing to do.
[ Parent | Reply to this comment ]
All these religious privileges are so insidious and corrosive. Group "A" gets special treatment and group "B" does not, it's immoral and unacceptable in a modern civilised society.
If I had my way all faith schools would lose all state funding, it's not as if the churches are poor. They can pay for their own indoctrination and not at the tax payers expense. My primary school building was owned by the church but thankfully it was a county primary school and though I went to a damn good grammar school it was entrance by ability* and not by faith or cheque book.
* Yes I know that a grammar school isn't fair either but I prefer discrimination by ability (however tenuously determined) over discrimination by cheque book/post code or religion. In an ideal world all schools would be good (as they are in most of Europe) and you simply go to the one closes to your home.
--
"It's Not Magic, It's Work"
Adam
If I had my way all faith schools would lose all state funding, it's not as if the churches are poor. They can pay for their own indoctrination and not at the tax payers expense. My primary school building was owned by the church but thankfully it was a county primary school and though I went to a damn good grammar school it was entrance by ability* and not by faith or cheque book.
* Yes I know that a grammar school isn't fair either but I prefer discrimination by ability (however tenuously determined) over discrimination by cheque book/post code or religion. In an ideal world all schools would be good (as they are in most of Europe) and you simply go to the one closes to your home.
--
"It's Not Magic, It's Work"
Adam
[ Parent | Reply to this comment ]