Tonight: How to Get into a Good School, ITV at 7.30pm Credit: ITV / Tonight
PARENTS would be willing to cheat in large numbers to get their youngsters into the best state schools, according to an exclusive Tonight survey.
More than a third of parents of primary school children said they had or would be willing to feign religion to get their child into a good school, according to the survey conducted by OnePoll.
And almost 40% said they had or would be willing to pretend to live in the catchment area of a good school if necessary.
The poll was commissioned for ITV’s Tonight programme “How to Get Into a Good School”, on ITV at 7.30pm this evening.
Reporter Aasmah Mir talks to one mum who became a pillar of the local church just to get her child into the nearest school, which happened to be a Church of England primary school.
Rabbi Jonathan Romain Credit: ITV / Tonight
Rabbi Jonathan Romain speaks for the Accord Coalition which campaigns against faith schools.
The Maidenhead-based Rabbi sent his children to a local community school rather than the local Jewish school.
Rev Nigel Genders Credit: ITV / Tonight
But Church of England spokesman Rev Nigel Genders tells the programme:
Feigning religion not the only example of parents potentially trying to cheat the system.
Aasmah Mir visits Lightwoods Primary School, the most oversubscribed primary school in Sandwell, West Midlands.
The nationwide survey polled 1,000 parents with children aged between 4 and 11 between March 23rd and April 8th.
