Demand for Bible Teaching Across UK Increases

Parents schooling children in Britain are demanding growth for US-style Christian schools. According to research by the University of Wales, Bangor, teenagers in independent Christians schools in Wales and England condemn under-age sex and feel better about life than those in state secondary schools. 14 independent Christian schools are running in Wales and the demand for more has grown as parents fear state-schools are turning away from Christianity.

"There certainly has been growth in demand in the last few years (in Britain)," said a spokesman for Christian Education Europe, which supplies the curriculum for schools in Bridgend, Crosskeys, and Mold.

In the Christian schools, many of the subjects in the curriculum are imported from the US. All teachings are related to the Bible, including the theory that God created the world in a span of six days.

The survey was organised by Professor Leslie Francis, director of the Welsh National Centre of Religious Education. Francis gathered and analysed answers by boys aged 13-15 of whom 12,823 belonged in non-denominational state schools and 136 in independent Christian schools.

"Pupils attending the Christian schools are more likely to be protected from boys who hold liberal attitudes toward alcohol, tobacco and sex," he said. "They are less likely to be troubled by bullying and more likely to respect their teachers. They are much more likely to feel good about life and about themselves.

"Many Christian parents may feel that this is precisely what they are purchasing for their 13 to 15-year-old boys when they elect to send them to an independent Christian school." Students at Christian schools hold a more positive attitude towards the Church and are less likely to be superstitious.

The pupils are trained to refer to the Bible when dealing with life. "We want the children to be so grounded in how to make the right choices that when they leave school they will be able to think Biblically," said Lisa Hearne, acting head teacher at Carmarthen Christian School.