A Brighton and Hove city councillor has apologised after likening a proposed Christian free school to a “cult”.
Ben Duncan has criticised the King’s School secondary proposal as a backlash to the plan grows.
Parents working with Russell Education Trust (RET) are planning to submit an application to the Department for Education to open the school for 11 to 16-year-olds in Hove in 2013.
Under free school rules up to half the places could be set aside for Christian children.
An anti-King’s School website has now been set up by parents concerned about the effects of “segregation” in the city.
Coun Duncan, council cabinet member for communities, equalities and public protection, commented on Twitter: “Campaign against latest Tory plan for cult followers to wrest control of education from state in Hove.”
Two Argus polls have shown opinions are split on free and religious schools.
Almost 55% said they would send their child to a free school.
And 58% of respondents said a Church of England school is needed in the city.
The Argus has been contacted by parents who claim the group behind the plans have not consulted properly with the local community.
RET said the number of parents who have expressed an interest in places from 2013 has exceeded the planned admission number.
Coun Duncan said yesterday (February 10): “I had been speaking with some members of the church who had been blaming poverty and deprivation upon godlessness rather than joblessness, and proposed that the answer lay in more churches, not more jobs, which made me angry.
“In hindsight I realise I shouldn’t have used that language, which I accept may have been offensive to other members of the church.”
RET spokesman Richard Elms said: “The proposed King’s School will extend parental choice by offering additional church school places in an area in which there is only one other (very popular) church secondary school.”
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