The BHA opposes state funding of Steiner schools because of concerns about pseudoscience on the curriculum (including scepticism of evolution and vaccinations and support for homeopathy), homeopathy being given to pupils by the schools’ ‘anthroposophical doctors’, and the fact that a number of private and at least one state school has opted out of providing vaccinations. The BHA is not aware of any other state schools offering homeopathy or opting out of vaccines. The first two Steiner schools to open did so despite overwhelming local opposition, but this opposition was ignored. In May 2012 the BHA was told by a whistleblower that the Free Schools team had expressed serious concern about the state funding of Steiner schools but that ministers chose to fund them anyway. In order to ascertain whether this was true the BHA submitted an FOI request asking for the relevant briefings. After having this request rejected by the DfE, the BHA complained to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), who in January decided that the information should be disclosed. However the DfE appealed this to the Information Tribunal in February and the BHA was added as a second respondent. After an oral hearing on 10 June the Tribunal ruled in favour of disclosure, saying that the public interest in support of this was ‘overwhelming’ and that the DfE’s evidence was ‘particularly weak and not at all persuasive.’
Posted on: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 18:39:44 +0000
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