UK pupils should have religious education

Religious leaders such as rabbis should be allowed to come into state schools and teach children.

That is the opinion of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), which has asserted that religious communities are at risk of being segregated within schools.

The NUT made these observations at is annual conference in Manchester, adding that allowing rabbis, priests or imams to teach in schools could help to improve social cohesion.

Steven Sinnot, NUT general secretary, said that mass immigration after the 1960s from south Asia meant that there are now many more Muslim and Hindu children in British schools.

Mr Sinnot suggested that allowing pupils to have instruction in their fait at state school could reduce the demand for faith schools.

He is quoted by the BBC as saying: "This is more than simple religious education, it's religious instruction.

"There would be real benefits to all our communities and to youngsters if we can find a space for parents who are Roman Catholic, parents who are Church of England, parents who are Jewish, parents who are Muslim for them to have space for some religious instruction."