Three Faiths Forum runs school linking to fight community tensions

The Three Faiths Forum welcomed representatives from Muslim, Christian, Jewish and community primary schools at Toynbee Hall last Thursday to prepare for a school linking programme aimed at combating religious and social tensions and promoting community cohesion. After a successful pilot year, the linking programme, Shared Futures, has been given the green light to continue its work, which involves classes from two schools meeting each other to work and learn together several times over the school year. Over 15 pairs of schools will participate, exploring what it means to be different from each other, and how to live and work together.

Over 35 teachers from both faith schools and non-religious institutions took part in an intensive training day in which they prepared for the year ahead and shared their views and goals. School linking is becoming increasingly popular with schools as a hands-on way to help them meet the Community Cohesion targets recently introduced by the government. Over the year classes will take part in activities ranging from joint fundraising and museum visits to creating artwork and drama for parents, friends and teachers.

The programme, initiated by the Board of Deputies of British Jews, aims to address the urgent need for greater cohesion and understanding between faiths and cultures in British society. The links have proven to be an effective way of reducing barriers both between different faiths and beliefs and between young people from single-faith institutions and the wider community in which they live. Through both formal teaching and informal interactions between students, misconceptions are eroded and more positive relationships are built.

The Three Faiths Forum is one of the UK’s leading interfaith and inter-communal organisations. It is an innovative part of a growing movement of organisations and individuals working towards a just and equal society where religions, cultures and secular society not only coexist, but enrich and learn from each other.