COULD Mrs Jackman (Letters) clarify the morals and ethics that the Christian faith has that by implication members of other faiths, or indeed people who are non-believers don't have?

Surely at a time when the multi-racial society viewpoint is so prevalent it is a definite step in the wrong direction for Southampton to appoint the Oasis Trust to run its schools.

A Christian-based trust can only be seen by members of other faiths as divisive and contentious.

The appointment should have gone to the trust with local business links, which would provide a natural follow on for our young people when they leave school.

In my view there should be no religious subjects of any denomination taught in school, they are of no particular academic worth, time wasting and should only be mentioned in a historical context. Though it is a fact, though nevertheless unfortunate, most children follow the faith of their parents, at a time when they are too immature to objectively make their own minds up.

It is long overdue for the Church of England to be disestablished, and deprived of their unique right of unelected representation in parliament. If not then it must only be fair, in our multi-cultural society, for other faiths such as Roman Catholic, Jewish, Islamic, Buddist and Humanist to be equally represented.

Though the doctrine of all major religions is supposedly based on love and tolerance, it is the attitude displayed by Mrs Jackman that helps to make them the most devisive and destructive forces in the world.

Give me a religion, and I will give you a reason for hatred and war.

D R SMITH, Bitterne, Southampton