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Education: Be Afraid, Be Very AfraidNews Article by Judy Cox, February 2005 Ruth Kelly is Tony Blair's high-flying, ultra-loyal new education secretary. But should school students, parents and teachers be afraid of her? Ruth Kelly has come under scrutiny for her religious views. She is not only a devout Catholic opposed to abortion and contraception - she also has close links to Opus Dei, a secretive right wing Catholic sect made infamous by the hugely successful Dan Brown thriller The Da Vinci Code. Kelly denies that her religious views will have any impact on her job as education secretary. But she has reportedly already turned down posts in the Department of Health and in Overseas Development because of her hardline anti-abortion and anti-contraception stance. And Opus Dei preaches that members should use their position in society to promote their religious beliefs and recruit more members.
This could be disastrous for Britain's school students. Sex education in Britain is already woefully inadequate, as the rocketing figures for sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers demonstrate. The Health Protection Agency's last figures show astonishing increases between 1996 and 2002. For chlamydia, which can cause infertility in women, the rate has leapt by 139 percent. Britain also has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe. The government has set a target of halving pregnancies among under-18s in the next six years. Leading scientists are also concerned that the new education secretary's conservative views on stem-cell research could affect vital science in Britain. Kelly, who now has responsibility for a £1 billion research budget, opposed motions on embryo research in parliament.
Opus Dei has just taken over its first church in London, the Sir Thomas More in Swiss Cottage. It was founded in 1928 by a Spanish priest, Josémaría Escribá de Balagues. There was an outcry when he was canonised by the current pope in 2002. Several leading members of General Franco's fascist government were devout followers.
Opus Dei has a reputation as a Masonic-type club whose supporters exercise influence and power. In the US leading figures in the FBI and the Supreme Court are reported to be members. Opus Dei is exclusive, with just 500 members in Britain and a similar number of supporters, but it is very well funded. The movement's New York headquarters is a $50 million office block in Manhattan. Some celibate members, or 'numeraries', practise self-mortification, in which they whip themselves or wind a wire chain into their legs to remind themselves of the sufferings of Christ. Ruth Kelly's brother, Ronan Kelly, is a 'supernumerary' in Opus Dei. When Ruth Kelly worked for the Guardian, former colleagues claimed she attended mass daily. A senior Catholic source said, 'There is no doubt whatsoever that Ruth Kelly is a fully paid-up member... on contraception, abortion, euthanasia and other issues such as stem-cell research, Ruth is very straight down the line.'
The pious prime minister has already given his support to 'Christian fundamentalist second hand car dealer' Sir Peter Vardy to set up schools that teach that Muslims are wrong, homosexuality is a sin and God created the world in seven days. If the creeping Christian fundamentalism in the cabinet doesn't scare you, Kelly has also reaffirmed her commitment to continuing the privatisation of education through the creation of more foundation schools and city academies. Comments? Email letters@socialistreview.org.uk Contents | Donate Access to this website is free - help us keep it that way. Please make a donation. |
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