The march of secularism means Britain may no longer be a Christian country in just 20 years, a report said yesterday.

If trends continue, the number of non-believers is set to overtake the number of Christians by 2030.

Christianity is losing more than half a million believers every year, while the count of atheists and agnostics is going up by almost 750,000 annually….

The findings help explain the increasingly forceful warnings from people of faith about the state of religion in Britain.

Last week a group of MPs and peers – Christians in Parliament – claimed public policy was promoting ‘unacceptable’ discrimination against Christians.

Yesterday the group’s chairman, former Tory justice minister Gary Streeter, warned that believers were having their faith ‘steamrollered’ by a ‘secular and hostile state’.

He said many were facing restrictions on their ability to practise their religion in public.

Cabinet minister Baroness Warsi also recently attacked ‘militant secularism’ and said the Church should continue to have influence over government policy.

Earlier this week campaigners said Christianity was being sidelined after it emerged that a council-run crematorium in Bath was to remove a glass window engraved with a four-foot cross to make it more suitable for other religions.

Secularists argue that Christians should no longer have privileged access in Parliament when the number who believe in God is declining so sharply.

Researchers came to their conclusion after studying the Labour Force Survey, which is carried out every year by the Office for National Statistics.

It is the most authoritative survey because of its regularity and its large sample size of 50,000.

It found that in 2010 there were around 41.1million Christians in Britain – down 7.6 per cent over the past six years.

There were around 13.4million non-believers, up 49 per cent over the same period.

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

Reading around the blogsphere there has been a lot of criticism around Invisible Children, more specifically:

• The charities willingness to work with the Ugandan army who haven’t a good reputuation, just check out the horrendous story about the rape of DRC men in the guardian last year.
• As a registered not-for-profit, its finances are public. Last year, the organization spent $8,676,614. Only 32% went to direct services (page 6), with much of the rest going to staff salaries, travel and transport, and film production.  This doesn’t make sense, surely action is needed, not more awareness.

A number of charities who have a long history of working in Africa have responded:

An official statement from the fantastic War Child

At the start of this week, few of us would have thought that Joseph Kony would be the most famous man on the internet.

Invisible Children’s ‘Kony 2012′ campaign has been a phenomenon. 25 million people have watched a 30 minute film about the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army - a rebel group that has left a trail of terror across central Africa for nearly a quarter of a century.

There’s much that other charities can and should learn about the way that Invisible Children have engaged and mobilised millions of young people to their cause. Since our own videos are lucky to get 1,000 YouTube views in a year, it would be churlish of us to criticise anyone else for theirs. The film and the organisation behind it have been placed under the microscope, and the scrutiny and debate of the issues is to be welcomed.

We differ in opinion to Invisible Children when it comes to some of the content of the film, and of the campaign’s aims:

• Whilst Joseph Kony is a good figurehead for a publicity campaign, capturing him is not a magic bullet that will solve the region’s problems. The root causes of the conflict lie in poverty and inequality. The solutions are complex and must come from Ugandan people themselves.
• We urge the Ugandan (and Congolese and Central African Republic) armies to observe and uphold human rights laws and conventions. In many of the areas where we work in these countries, local people are just as scared of the army as they are of the rebels. There have been many allegations of violence and rape committed against women and children by government armies in the region.
• The film is in some ways, five years too late. Kony and the LRA were driven out of Uganda and now move between Central African Republic (CAR), D.R. Congo and southern Sudan. They are thought to number only a few hundred fighters.
• The number of children being kidnapped and used as child soldiers is now relatively small. Much needs to be done to help the thousands of former child soldiers and abductees to reintegrate back into their communities. That’s a feature of our work in Acholi and south east Central African Republic.
• That’s not to downplay the terror still caused by the LRA. They’re still attacking towns and villages in CAR where we work and displacing thousands of people from their homes.
• Although the film supports the role of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in bringing Kony to justice, many would argue that the authority of the ICC would be greatly strengthened if the USA were to become members of it. That would seem to be an obvious campaigning or advocacy objective that the Kony 2012 campaign did not ask of its (primarily American) audience.

The fact that you’re reading this now and that you’ve heard of Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army is because of Invisible Children’s film. They are to be commended for that. The issues and solutions are a lot more complex than can be captured in a film – even in a 30 minute one.

We’d urge you to look around our site to see how we’re providing direct, practical support to girls like Juliet and Agnes. If you’re passionate about supporting Kony’s victims and helping young Ugandans to rebuild their country then please considerdonating to our vital work.

And Stop the Traffik write Kony2012 – Thoughts

Kony2012 is clearly on everyone’s mind at the moment. The 30 minute video which has gone drastically viral is definitely stirring debate around its main message and goals. Many have asked STOP THE TRAFFIK to share their opinion so here is what we think.

We have long been aware of the issue of child soldiers as these children are recruited by the means of coercion (abducted from their homes by the LRA) for the use of exploitation (forced to become soldiers often fighting with machetes and subjected to constant psychological and physical abuse). These children are trafficked. What Kony2012 is achieving in terms of raising global awareness on this issue is great. It has done a fantastic job in promoting for the rights of Ugandan children, highlighting the conflict and providing noticeable benefits to survivors of LRA brutality.

It is difficult for STOP THE TRAFFIK to give a clear opinion on the video itself, its glossiness is a choice of style and when it comes to its message – well we just don’t have enough up to date information to judge whether what they’re saying is entirely truthful and that’s also not our role. What we do consider is that the LRA poses a stark dilemma to the people of northern Uganda as it is now composed primarily of child soldiers, most of whom were abducted and forced to commit atrocities. So one has to be careful when it comes to labeling them as ‘victims’ or ‘perpetrators’ because they are often both. What’s more the LRA is or has not only been active in Uganda but also in the DRC, the Central African Republic and South Sudan. Undeniably we all want Kony to be stopped but as any cases of human trafficking, we need to address this issue as a whole rather than focus on one single person. Kony2012 is useful and interesting – but please do not limit your understanding of the issue simply to the video itself. Check our case study activity related to child soldiers on our website under teacher’sresources and find out more about child soldiers on http://www.child-soldiers.org/home.

• Examiners suspended over claims they tipped off teachers about questions: Two examiners have been suspended after claims that teachers were given secret advice on how to improve their pupils’ exam results.
• Schoolchildren could be given lessons in being transgender: Primary schoolchildren to be taught what it is like to be transgender as part of plans to introduce “equality” lessons in to the classroom.
• Grammar schools get go-ahead to expand: Grammar schools will be able to expand and take on extra pupils after ministers abandoned plans to let hostile local parents object.
• Government to extend number of children to get £488 pupil premium: Schools will be able to claim money for any child who has been registered for free school meals in the past six years.  Half a million more poor children will benefit from government help targeted at deprived youngsters.
• Child poverty targets will not be met, says Alan Milburn: Alan Milburn, who advises the coalition on child poverty, is to make the case for “increased investment” in early years funding, saying that there would be “big economic returns” for the country, with the poorest families having the most to gain.
• Schools facing head teacher shortage in pay row: Schools are facing a looming leadership crisis as primaries and secondaries across England fail to recruit head teachers, according to a new report.
• One in five children is obese by the end of primary school, NHS figures show: Ministers face call for action as figures reveal 19% of year-six pupils are obese – part of a steady rise since 2006-07
• Students turn to prostitution to fund college: Growing numbers of university and A-level students are turning to prostitution or working as escorts to fund their education, the National Union of Students said.
• One eighth of primary schools fall short of government literacy and numeracy targets: One in eight primary schools have failed to reach a minimum government target for getting 60 per cent of their pupils to read, write and add up properly by the age of 11.
• Education minister Nick Gibb claims celebrity culture and obsession with wealth is harming children: British children are growing up in an “destructive” society obsessed with the celebrity way of life and need to be taught to live within their means, an education minister has warned.
• Examiners make thousands a year providing ‘inside information’ on GCSEs and A-Levels.:
• Examiners are making thousands of pounds a year by working for private companies giving teachers and pupils “inside information” about how to get top GCSE and A-level results.
•  Children must learn their times tables by age of nine: Children face being required to master times tables and division by the age of nine under Coalition plans to radically toughen up the National Curriculum.

The government has abandoned plans to scrap the Youth Justice Board, minister Lord McNally has announced.  The Ministry of Justice said the youth justice system still needed reform but, “following careful consideration”, the board would be saved.

The board was set up in 1997 to oversee the youth justice system and ensure that under-18s in custody were kept in safe conditions.  It was due to have been scrapped as part of a so-called “bonfire of the quangos”.  But the government was defeated in the House of Lords on the decision earlier this year, and there were fears that continuing anger over the proposed abolition could have led to another defeat at the latest stage of the bill.

Announcing the reprieve, Lord McNally said the government realised “that the future of the Youth Justice Board is an emotive issue”.  He said ministers believed its functions could have been brought in-house and carried out by the Ministry of Justice, but they accepted that in both Houses of Parliament and in a public consultation there had been “considerable opposition” to such a move.

“During that period the Youth Justice Board played an enormously important part in liaising with, overseeing and helping both the youth offender teams out in the community and also the oversight of those being received in custody who required a great deal of help”

For Labour, shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan said he welcomed the government’s “long overdue change of mind”:

“The YJB does an important job battling to reduce youth offending.  It has a proven track record in reducing crime, which is why it was madness for the government to want to abolish it and why Labour and so many groups have campaigned for its survival with such determination.”

But Mr Khan said the work of the board was “still being undermined by severe cuts to youth offending teams, which work within communities to cut crime and anti-social behaviour”.

In October the government announced it was scrapping 192 public bodies – such as the Film Council and the Audit Commission – while 118 would be merged.  It said the move would save more than £1bn, but opposition to the plans has led to the reprieve of about 20 quangos and forced ministers to drop proposals to abolish 150 more without parliamentary approval.

In recent days we’ve seen headlines such as David Cameron slams ‘outrageous’ poppy ban by Fifa on England shirt after it emerged that Fifa officials turned down the special request, made by the Football Association, claiming it would “open the door to similar initiatives” across the world.

A letter from Fifa to the FA sent on Tuesday said:

“We regret to inform you that accepting such initiatives would open the door to similar initiatives from all over the world, jeopardising the neutrality of football. Therefore, we confirm herewith that the suggested embroidery on the match shirt cannot be authorised.  There are a variety of options where the FA can continue supporting the cause of remembrance. One of them already was approved by Fifa, the period of silence.”

Fifa’s rules prevent anything of a political nature being worn on shirts and, although the organisation does not regard poppies as political, it is concerned it would open the door to countries wanting to wear various different emblems on their shirts, some of which would be overtly political.

The sports minister Hugh Robertson also wrote to Fifa urging them to reconsider. Robertson’s letter said:

“We fully understand, and respect, Fifa’s rules on its member nations not adorning their shirts with ‘commercial’, ‘political’, or ‘religious’ symbols or messages. The FA and FAW do not intend to contravene these rules.  However, the British public feel very strongly about this issue which is seen as an act of national remembrance to commemorate those who gave their lives in the service of their country. It is not religious or political in any way.”

The FA have released a statement:

The FA would like to clarify that the organisation and England players at all levels will be showing their respect and marking Remembrance Day in a number of ways.

We have been working closely with the Royal British Legion who have welcomed our support. We can confirm that:

• The England players will wear black armbands during the Spain game on Saturday
• The FA will place a poppy wreath on the pitch during the national anthems
• There will be a one-minute silence ahead of kick-off
• Players will wear training tops with embroidered poppies on match day
• Players will wear poppy-embossed anthem jackets during the national anthems
• Military representatives will be in the presentation party prior to kick-off
• The FA has donated 500 England v Spain tickets to ‘Tickets for Troops’, for members of the armed forces, and 1,000 tickets for the England v Sweden game on Tuesday (this is standard FA policy for Wembley matches)
• The England senior squad will train at Wembley on Friday ahead of the Spain game. They will observe the two-minute silence at 11am, all wearing training tops embossed with poppies. This session will be broadcast live
• The training tops embossed with poppies will be passed onto forces’ charities post-match as auction items for fund raising
• The poppy will be visible around Wembley on Saturday, on the scoreboards and advertising boards, and poppy sellers will be in the stadium to allow supporters to donate to the poppy fund and show their support
• On Thursday, England Under-21s play Iceland in Colchester and England U19s play Denmark in Brighton. All players and staff will be wearing poppies pre- and post-match
• Both the Under-21s and U19s will observe a one-minute silence, too, at their games – the Under-21s will do so alongside troops from Colchester barracks.

The decision by FIFA doesn’t seem a well thought out decision, common sense seems to have stopped in an overly politically correct world where everyone is scared of offending someone else.  I believe the poppy should be allowed on the England shirt.  However, I don’t remember teams wearing poppies on their shirts before this year.  The thing that I have remembered is the minute’s silence and the honouring of troops and retired troops.

What do you think?

Headlines from the world of education and schools work:

• Rachel de Souza: ‘We went to pupils’ homes and got them out of bed’: Head teacher Rachel de Souza knew her pupils needed a wake-up call – literally – to improve standards. As a result, she arranged for teaching staff to go round to their homes during the Easter holidays and drag them out of bed to come in for maths revision classes. It is just one of the innovations which has transformed the failing Costessey secondary school in Norwich into the thriving Victory Academy within 12 months.
• Apply for university AFTER getting your A-level grades: The most radical overhaul of university admissions for half a century would allow students to apply after they receive their A-level results, sparing them the anguish of the clearing system.
• Schools acting as ‘surrogate parents’, says Ofsted chief: Schools are being forced to act as “surrogate families” because growing numbers of parents struggle to bring up their children properly, according to the new head of Ofsted.
• Summer-born children ‘less likely to attend top universities’: Summer-born children are considerably less likely to attend top universities than pupils with autumn birthdays, according to research.
• Social mobility of young people ‘being held back by government policy’: Cuts to education, benefits and pensions likely to lead to deeper inequalities in the future, says the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.  The government’s radical proposals make it “difficult to be optimistic” about meeting ministers’ commitments to increase social mobility for young people, an influential thinktank has warned.
• Teachers suffering from ‘burnout’, warns new Ofsted chief: Good teachers should be given time off to stop them suffering from classroom “burnout”, according to the incoming head of Ofsted.
• Parents urged to be proud of apprentices: Parents should be just as proud of their children securing a top apprenticeship as getting in to university, the new shadow Education Secretary, Stephen Twigg, said.
• More than 35,000 Sats papers are re-marked: More than 35,000 Sats papers were sent back for re-marking this year by primary schools across the country, as headteachers questioned the quality of marking and the validity of the tests.
• Towns where 1 in 4 young people are ‘Neets’ revealed: Doncaster, Grimsby and Warrington named in first study to map clusters of under-25s who are not in work, education or training
• Jarrow marchers joined by hundreds of supporters as they complete trek: Protesters who recreated the original 1936 march hand petition to No 10 calling for action on youth jobs and services.  A group of activists who recreated the famous 1936 Jarrow March for Jobs completed their journey on Saturday.