Among the special concerns of the Centre will be the vital part played by schools in equipping children with the knowledge to succeed in modern conditions as well as the shared values and mutual respect needed to co-operate with others. At their best, schools teach respect for democracy, laws that apply equally to all, freedom of speech, toleration, and commitment to the essential dignity of all individuals regardless of background. Faith schools can be expected to place particular emphasise on moral education. However, in the last decade concern has grown that some schools may promote division and sectarian animosity. Renewed attention has been given to Catholic and protestant schools in Northern Ireland where they are said to entrench the sectarian divide. And some Muslim schools have been criticised for encouraging hatred of Jews and Christians.

Some critics of faith schools would prefer all schools to be secular but defenders of faith schools argue that they help to encourage social cohesion by equipping children with a moral code that respects both strangers and friends. In modern conditions, they ask, if faith schools do not teach moral values, who will? The challenge is to discover whether the beneficial effects of faith schools can be preserved without encouraging sectarian animosity.