The value of faith schools

Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks in a BBC radio 3 interview with Joan Bakewell recently stated

"Faith schools are giving kids what they are missing in the wider secular culture. The importance of responsibility as well as rights, the sanctity of marriage, the idea that sex is not to be undertaken without love, love is not to be undertaken without commitment, parenthood is not to be undertaken without responsibility. All these things which we found in the culture in which I was growing up all around us which have today disappeared from the public square. It's faith schools, of whatever faith that are putting them back. Without these values we shall implode as a society."

He attended Anglican schools at primary and secondary level, and is grateful for what he received.

"Church schools gave me an extraordinary lesson in life ... those teachers could understand the importance of faith in life."

In defence of different schools for diffferent religions he said that he advocated :

"... separate schools that teach us our heritage as a way of getting us to be responsible citizens, in a country in which we reach out a hand of friendship to people of all faiths, in fact, as I define Judaism, it's to be true to our faith and be a blessing to others, regardless of their faith."