_

_

_

_

_

 

11Sep07

Conservative Race Relations Chairman Champions Faith School Support

Mark Versallion, head of WAMO, a race relations charity, and Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Stretford & Urmston, has this week welcomed Government plans for faith schools.

"Faith schools are an essential element in our education system and they offer a choice for parents” said Mr Versallion. “These successful schools need to be strengthened and modernized, as their success is something we should encourage and extend throughout Britain’s cosmopolitan society.”

Highlighting the benefits of faith schools Mr Versallion added “I would add though that there is a balance between the rights of parents to educate their children in a religious manner and the need to maintain and enhance community cohesion. The two must not be exclusive, indeed is it not implicit in all the major religions of Britain today that faith and morality encourage community harmony.”

Commenting on the Government’s paper Faith in the System, Stretford and Urmston’s Conservative spokesman said “It’s a good piece of work, bringing together faith communities and Government. I welcome any initiative to enhance choice for parents and where something good is successful, for it to be allowed to prosper.”