by Charles Hymas, Telegraph
The Church of England should be stripped of its right to run state-funded schools, the public believes.
A poll of more than 2,000 adults found that six in 10 believed the Church should not control state-funded schools and should not be able to select children based on their faith.
Despite the popularity of Church schools among parents because of their performance and moral standards, the British public appears less convinced about their right to retain their religious status, according to the research by More in Common.
It is reflected in wider findings in the survey, showing that the public is largely opposed to the Church of England’s automatic representation in the House of Lords, its role in national ceremonies and the continuation of the King as the Church’s supreme governor.
The poll shows a growing number of people turning their backs on religion, and an increasing belief that the political and civic privileges afforded to the Church are in need of reform.
The findings come a day before Dame Sarah Mullally is installed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury at Canterbury Cathedral – the first woman to hold the post.
Sophie Stowers, the research manager at More in Common, said: “This report shows that, in an increasingly irreligious country, most Britons see religion as a private matter.