Oona Stannard, Chief Executive and Director of the Catholic Education Service for England and Wales, has written to the Editor of the Times Educational Supplement, Gerard Kelly, in response to two articles which appeared in the TES on 20 November 2009.

            Dear Mr Kelly

Faith Schools: Who Pays?

I was pleased to read the acknowledgement that pupils at faith schools develop into autonomous thinkers. Whilst I would not for one moment question that assertion, I do want to put the record straight on the funding of schools with a religious character. References to tax payers funding faith schools ignore the fact that those very tax payers include millions of people of faith including parents of children in voluntary aided (VA) schools. Moreover, it can be argued that churches and religious groups subsidise education for people who are not of faith. Faith groups routinely pay 10% of the capital costs of VA schools with a religious character. In the case of Catholic schools this means that we are therefore subsidising the education of the 30% in our schools who are not Catholic – a service to society. 

Yours sincerely

Oona Stannard

Chief Executive & Director

 The original articles are available to view online via the links below.