1

Summary

1.1

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1.3

This report sets out a proposal for a new project to address social cohesion in Hampshire and in partnership with regional authorities. The purpose of this report is to seek SACRE's endorsement of the Executive Member (with special responsibility) for Education's decision to consult with stakeholders in Hampshire and neighbouring authorities and to construct a strategy for addressing social cohesion in relation to community diversity and conditions for effective learning of pupils in schools.

This decision supports the following Hampshire County Council priorities:

"Making Hampshire safer and more secure for all" - by encouraging better and more informed relations between communities and institutions

"Maximising well-being" - by addressing common purpose amongst communities in Hampshire and its children

"Enhancing our quality of place" - through providing support for the positive recognition of minority communities and religious groups

The decision supports the following Aims of the Children Act:

(Being healthy; Staying safe; Enjoying and achieving; Making a positive contribution; Economic well-being) by ensuring that social cohesion is addressed in Hampshire and its neighbouring communities to enhance the safety of environments, positive relations between different groups, achievement and enjoyment of children in schools and their larger learning, improving the prospect of economic well-being for minorities of different faiths.

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Background

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Hampshire County Council has initiated an adult inter-faith forum and is presently in the process of setting up a young people's inter-faith project, which is progressing well. Nevertheless there is some evidence from schools in Hampshire and mosques in Southampton and Basingstoke that parents, children and others are receiving and forming negative impressions of Islam, in particular, and other minority religions in general.

The evidence received from Headteachers and Faith Group representatives relates to a minority of parents concerns over their children going on visits to mosques, in particular, and other places of worship and to negative impressions of Islam being received through media reporting.

This negative impression of religion within some quarters of society has been informed by publicity given to world events and this, in turn, is impacting upon the implementation of government policy on social cohesion and respect for diversity.

The premise of this proposal is that locally and regionally we need to counter the effects of inadequately informed judgements about the role religion can play in creating a cohesive society, through promoting mature democratic citizenship, and informed debate.

2.5

Regionally interest has already been shown by Salisbury Diocese, the Wiltshire Interfaith Group, East Sussex Local Authority, the University of Winchester, the Medina Mosque Southampton and the Shia Ithnasheeri Muslim community in Fareham.

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Rationale

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The `war on terror', the war in Iraq, the Palestinian - Israeli territorial problem and subsequent events in New York, Madrid, Amsterdam and London are the larger canvas for this paper. The local context is the challenging nature of the communities in Hampshire where 93 languages are spoken and the ethnic minority population of those between 0 and 19 years is 5.8% compared to the overall ethnic minority population in Hampshire of 2.5%.

In Britain, the government agenda for social cohesion is impacting locally through a questionnaire sent out by the newly formed Commission on Integration and Cohesion which states `There is arguably no more important issue facing the country today than how we promote integration between communities and improve cohesion at a local level'.

NASACRE (the National Association of Standing Advisory Councils for Religious Education) has taken the initiative of allocating funding, provided by the Westhill Trust for youth inter-faith projects. This is in response to the new remit given to SACREs to address social cohesion as well as RE and collective worship. NASACRE, with QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) has urged more effective SACREs to provide support for other SACREs and for SACREs to work together locally.

The QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) has produced its `big picture' of the curriculum that identifies learning as needing to be addressed both within and beyond the classroom emphasising the importance of community responsibility for the Every Child Matters agenda and the need to focus on children becoming effective citizens.

These changes within the social environment and the policy and strategy responses that have been made at a national level require further responses at a local level.

3.5

Living Difference, the Agreed Syllabus for religious education in Hampshire, Southampton and Portsmouth promotes engagement with different faiths through a methodology for conceptual enquiry which is meant to encourage making informed judgements about religion and diversity. It also promotes visits to places of worship to gain first-hand experience of religious and cultural diversity locally and regionally.

3.6

Hampshire is also well placed to embark on this project in relation to its initiative with schools on Rights, Respect and Responsibilities, its support for intercultural education and its anti-bullying strategy, all of which underpin models for good citizenship.

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Proposal and strategy for addressing social cohesion

4.1

If pupils receive negative impressions and judgements from their parents, carers and community leaders that will mitigate against the progress they make in their learning and impede the experiences available to them. At the same time it is likely to lead to certain pupils becoming vulnerable due to attitudes expressed toward them on the basis of religious adherence or ethnicity.

4.2

In order to progress children's and young people's educational development it is important that the wider environment that they inhabit is supportive of them and consonant with the educational purpose being promoted. Therefore a project is proposed to inform and promote the aims expressed in Living Difference in relation to social cohesion with the intention to develop an integrated yet diverse society which can function effectively. This entails educating adults into a commitment to the philosophy and aims encompassed within the agreed syllabus, Living Difference.

4.3

It is also proposed that this project should not just restrict itself to Hampshire but should be an initiative lead by Hampshire in partnership with other neighbouring local authorities. Hampshire children are already visiting places of worship in Southampton, Portsmouth, Woking, Reading and London to enhance their provision in religious education and schools in other authorities will similarly be making use of these opportunities and facing the same challenges.

4.4

Policy: To promote a more integrated approach to social and cultural diversity such that varied communities within our society will agree to the promotion of common aims and values whilst embracing differences.

4.5

Strategy: It is proposed that the following strategy be employed to enhance understanding of diversity and its contribution to positive democratic debate and outcomes in society:

· Training of those involved with organisation of visits to places

of worship and faith visitors to schools

· Training of youth workers involved in local democratic procedures, e.g. Hampshire County Youth Council and the Youth Inter-Faith Forum

· Participation of stakeholders: parents, senior managers in

schools, leaders of faith communities, policy and strategy makers in local government, members of SACREs

· Participation of regional representatives in promoting common

aims and strategies for common outcomes across the south of England (e.g. RE inspector/advisors, SACREs, local government officials, school governors).

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Outcomes/ Impact assessment

· Increased positive parental, school and other stakeholders'

support for learning about and supporting the diversity of British

society, in a local and regional context

· Positive children's responses to encounters with diverse

groups and individuals within their educational provision

· An effective and pro-active youth inter-faith project that

educates and influences the Hampshire County Youth Council

and other local and regional democratic decision making bodies

· Increased local and regional participation of diverse, and

particularly Muslim, representation within the decision making

processes of local government

· Evaluation: Formal evaluation of the impact of the project in 2 years through
a questionnaire sent to stakeholders after 2 years:

e.g. schools, faith communities, governing bodies of schools,

community leaders. Informal interim and continuous evaluation

through reports to bodies to which it is responsible:

e.g. Hampshire County Council committees, Hampshire SACRE, Hampshire County Youth Council

Legal Implications

None.

Financial implications

The costs for the project will be measured in the number of

days allocated to the County Inspector for RE to undertake it

(per annum). These are estimated at:

Training of faith representatives: 5 days

Training of youth workers: 5 days

Work undertaken with Hampshire stakeholders: 10 days

Work undertaken with regional stakeholders: 10 days

Total: 30 days: £18,000 drawn from the centrally retained

resources for school improvement held within the existing LEA budget.

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Personnel implications

None.

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Crime prevention issues

None.

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Views of the Local County Councillor

10.1

Consultation has already taken place with the Executive Member, Chair of SACRE and a representative of the Local Authority.

10.2

The Executive Member's approval to adopt the strategy was made on 15 February 2007 and it is intended that Children's Services Department will lead detailed consultation with schools in both the primary and secondary sectors, Faith Group representatives and Hampshire and neighbouring Children's Services departments.

Recommendations

That:

1.

SACRE endorses the decision made by the Executive Member (with special responsibility) for Education to carry out a consultation exercise with schools, Faith Groups, local SACREs and neighbouring Local Authorities, focusing on their role in working with Hampshire County Council to address social cohesion, based upon the philosophy and aims in the Agreed Syllabus `Living Difference'

2.

The coordinator of the strategy for social cohesion report to Hampshire County Youth Council, SACRE, Children's Services and the Executive Member on progress made in the strategy

3.

An evaluation of the impact of the strategy be provided two years after its inception and that this be taken to government forums and headteacher's conferences