THE IDEA that faith schools should be discouraged was rejected at a heated public debate on Tuesday attended by Richmond Park MP Jenny Tonge.

A majority of about 60 of the 100 people at the debate, which was filmed by Channel Four, rejected the Richmond Park MPs motion that faith schools should be phased out.

But Dr Tonge has the backing of Ann Keen, MP for neighbouring Brentford and Isleworth, who is supporting her stance and calling for no new faith schools to get government backing

The high level event was chaired by Channel 4's Home Affairs editor, Mark Easton and was organised by Fr Martin Hislop of St Lukes Church, in Gibbon Road which has an attached primary faith school.

Dr Tonge argued along with Marilyn Mason of the Humanist Association that faith schools create cultural divisions and should be phased out of the state sector.

Support for the rejection of faith schools also came from Susan Kramer, Lib Dem London mayoral candidate, and Councillor Roger Hayes, leader of the Kingston Liberal Democrats.

Debating against the issue was Christian Democrat David Campanale together with Father Martin Hislop, and parents and teachers from many of the church schools in the borough.

Dr Tonge said: "My postbag is full of letters from anxious parents, who either do not want their child to attend a faith school, or who cannot get their child into the local school because it is a church school.

"I want children to be accepted by all schools and all schools should teach all religions. If they are not prepared to comply, then we should phase them out.

"But I would really like all schools to be secular. I am desperately afraid that, by increasing the number of faith schools, we will be fanning the flames of religious intolerance in our society."

Locally, Kingston has 14 voluntary-aided primary church schools and two single-sex secondary schools. Richmond has 15 primary and one secondary church schools. In last year's national league tables, 13 of the top 20 primary schools were church-run.

Fr Martin Hislop voiced the views of many saying that Jenny Tonge's views were offensive to the governors, teachers and parents of church schools which are not divisive and teach tolerance, respect, and good citizenship.

Commenting on the debate Peter Flower, of Kingston and Surbiton CPA said: "On Tuesday, the voice of Kingston parents was heard loud and clear with 60 per cent of the audience backing our local church schools. The Lib Dem's lost the argument and they lost the vote".

He continued: "The Christian Peoples Alliance firmly backs the government's support of establishing 100 new secondary schools across the country. A new mixed school with a Christian foundation open to children of all backgrounds would have a clear appeal to many parents in Kingston and the CPA will be backing any new initiative like this to the hilt".

Ann Keen, MP for neighbouring Brentford and Isleworth, has added her name to the Parliamentary motion that opposes the number of segregated religious schools.

She said: "We are certainly not going to promote new faith schools but we have well established and successful faith schools in the borough at the moment and it is important to offer choice"

Deputy leader of Hounslow Council, Cllr Valerie Lamey, is also supporting her, maintaining that they lead to social isolation and segregation.