Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-10-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will introduce teaching about the Five Mile Act 1665 and other sections of the Clarendon Code, and that code’s repeal, to the curriculum on fundamental British values of freedom and religious tolerance.

Edward Timpson

We expect every school to promote the basic British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs. This ensures young people understand the importance of respect and leave school fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

Schools have the freedom to teach topics that meet the needs of their pupils. The history curriculum includes a compulsory unit on “the development of Church, state and society in Britain 1509-1745” and schools may choose to teach students about the Five Mile Act 1665 and the Clarendon Code.

In Citizenship lessons, pupils are taught about the development of democratic government in the United Kingdom, including the roles of citizens, Parliament, and the monarch. Pupils are also taught about the diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding.