A ROW has broken out in Somerset over the role the county council should play in how schoolchildren are taught about religion, writes Daniel Mumby.

The standing advisory council on religious education (SACRE), which is responsible for setting out and monitoring religious education in the county's school, has accused the county council of forcing through its own curriculum.

Michael Strange, of SACRE, accused the council at its recent full meeting of blocking the Muslim community’s new representative on SACRE.

He said: “Evangelical Christian and Muslim SACRE faith representatives presented you with a joint document advising about shared religious sensitivities, which was rejected.

“You subsequently blocked the SACRE membership of the Muslim community’s representative that helped to write that document.

“In its new draft SACRE constitution, you state your intention to remove SACRE membership from the other authors – the Baptist, independent evangelical and Pentecostal church representatives.”

Mr Strange accused the county of “imposing” online meetings on SACRE, ignoring “repeated requests” to meet in person, stifling debate and manipulating meetings” to push through its “sham” constitution.

He added: “Somerset County Council evidently thinks that treating Somerset SACRE members and faith communities with contempt in this way will produce a religious education syllabus that will not be robustly rejected.”

SACRE currently has four county councillors from the ruling Liberal Democrat administration sitting on it – Caroline Ellis (who represents the Bishop’s Hull and Taunton West division), Hazel Prior-Sankey (Taunton South), Tim Kerley (Somerton) and Tessa Munt (Wells)

Cllr Tessa Munt, portfolio holder for children’s services, said: "I would be willing for anyone to put themselves forward to joint SACRE.

“This is a draft constitution and it does not seek to remove anyone.

"It simply acknowledges that there should be term limits on appointments.

“We will take a full academic year to consult on this.

"We do and will take an overview of the agenda for SACRE meetings, because it is a council committee whose sole purpose is to provide advice.

"It cannot serve that function unless the council sets the agenda.

“We are not currently reviewing the RE (religious education) syllabus, so there are no proposals on which to consult and any concerns are premature.

"When it is reviewed, this will be open and transparent.”