Ofsted chief says Christians need to stand against 'secular' Britain

Ofsted's chief inspector has said that Christians should stand up for the values of "love, compassion and tolerance".

Ofsted’s chief inspector has said that Christians should stand up for the values of "love, compassion and tolerance".

Sir Michael Wilshaw said last week that in our "secular and materialistic society", it has "never been more important for Christians to stand up for their faith".

His comments come only two weeks after he admitted that, as part of government plans to tackle 'extremism', Sunday schools would be forced to register.

Under proposed measures to regulate 'out-of-school education settings', which are part of the government's broader 'Counter-Extremism Strategy', groups offering more than six to eight hours of "intensive education" per week will be made to register and be subject to inspection.

Sunday schools forced to register

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan had insisted that Sunday schools would not be affected by these measures.

But speaking on LBC radio last month, Sir Michael confirmed that Sunday schools would be included in the plans.

If a church setting offers different youth activities throughout the course of the week that in total amount to more than six to eight hours of 'tuition', under the new proposals the church will have to register.

"The government…wants Sunday schools, and wants Madrassas and after-school clubs to be registered…. We will not be inspecting every one of them – but we will know that they exist," Sir Michael said.

During the LBC interview, Sir Michael agreed with the presenter that, so far, settings that have been shown to put children at risk have been Muslim madrassas and similar settings.

The presenter questioned why Sunday schools must be included as part of the proposals.

"We’ve got to deal with this in an even-handed way", Sir Michael replied.

The Ofsted chief has come under fire for his comments, with senior Conservative MP Sir Gerald Howarth saying that Sir Michael should be removed from office if he did not renounce plans to regulate Sunday schools.

During a parliamentary debate, many MPs spoke out in opposition to the proposals, expressing concern that highly subjective judgements about the content of teaching in Christian youth settings could result in censorship.

'Tolerance'

Now, Sir Michael has claimed that Christians ought to stand up for their faith.

He said:

"It doesn't need me to tell you that we are living in an increasingly secular and materialistic society where young people can so easily have their heads turned and lose sight of what really matters."

The Ofsted chief emphasised that Christians should promote ‘tolerance’:

"At the same time, we are also living through an era marked by seemingly ever greater intolerance of other people's beliefs, views and ways of living.

"Therefore, it has never been more important for Christians to stand up for their faith and for the Gospel values of love, compassion and tolerance."

Under the government plans, schools inspected by Ofsted will be assessed on how well they are promoting 'British values', which, according to the government's definition, include "the mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs".

Adding to his comments, Sir Michael said:

"It is perfectly legitimate for individuals and faith groups to hold firm to a particular set of values and beliefs, which may run counter to existing social norms.

"What is not legitimate is to use these beliefs to condone or even encourage intolerance and discrimination."

Mixed messages

Commenting on Sir Michael’s assertions, Chief Executive of Christian Concern Andrea Williams said:

"Sir Michael’s insistence that the government must monitor Christian activities in an effort to appear ‘even-handed’ is at odds with his assertion that Christians should stand up for their faith."

She went on to warn that his suggestion that Christians should promote ‘tolerance’ only serves to the further the government’s dangerous plans.

"By suggesting that Christians should be 'tolerant', Sir Michael does not offer any assurance that biblical teaching will be protected by the state."

Concerns have been raised that the government’s definition of ‘extremism’ will lead to Christians being prohibited from expressing core beliefs, as in the case of the biblical definition of marriage.

In September, Polly Harrow, who is responsible for implementing the government’s Prevent strategy at a college in Huddersfield, told BBC Radio 4 that expressing "out loud" the view that homosexuality is wrong could be illegal.

"If that’s what you think and that’s what you believe and you want to hold that in your head, that is your business and your right, but bear in mind that if you speak it out loud you might be breaking the law," she said.

Take action

Please contact Sir Michael Wilshaw, asking him what he means by his comments and what he intends to do to prevent the regulation of Sunday schools. If you have not done so already, please also contact Ofsted, highlighting your concerns that the government's plans will restrict Christian freedom.