- The decision to abandon the 50 percent cap would be welcomed by conservatives.
Faith schools could be allowed to choose all their pupils under government plans.
Downing Street is considering scrapping the requirement for headteachers to reserve half of places for children of other religions, or none at all.
The move to scrap the 50 per cent cap would be welcomed by the Conservatives, but could face resistance from education chiefs and campaign groups.
It would be led by high-ranking figures including Will Tanner, Rishi Sunak’s deputy chief of staff, and James Nation, deputy head of the No 10 policy unit. Any changes could be included in the party’s next manifesto, which both men are working on, or even introduced earlier.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, who attended a Catholic school, is also said to be heavily involved in the discussions and is in favor of changing the rules, according to the Sunday Times.
The rule has been in effect since 2010 and only applies in areas where schools are oversubscribed (Stock image)
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan (pictured) is also said to be heavily involved in the discussions.
New religious free schools and academies must offer half of their places openly, without any reference to the student’s faith.
The rule has been in effect since 2010 and only applies in areas where schools are oversubscribed. The aim was to prevent children from losing places due to their faith or lack of faith.
David Cameron introduced the free schools scheme and is said to have included the cap as part of a coalition deal with the Liberal Democrats.
This cap sparked the fury of the Catholic Church, which argued that turning away children of faith in favor of non-Catholic children was incompatible with canon law. He refused to participate in the free schools program, which would have delayed the rollout of the initiative and harmed its success.
Catholic schools educate around 850,000 children in England and Wales, making them the largest provider of secondary education and the second largest provider of primary education.
Catholic schools do particularly well at GCSE level. More than a third of the students who attend the school are non-Catholic. The Catholic Union wrote a letter to Ms Keegan, signed by senior bishops, urging her to repeal the cap.
Mr Tanner and Mr Nation are understood to have held discussions at Downing Street on the issue.
A government spokesperson said: “As we continue to champion diversity and quality education for all, we monitor all policies to ensure this country’s education system is the best in the world. »
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