Religious schools may be allowed to expel children who do not follow their religion.

Gillian Keegan is reported to be playing a significant role in the discussions. Photo: Danny Lawson/PA

Faith schools will reportedly be able to exclude children who do not practice their religion from applying under plans being considered by the government.

Senior officials are said to be considering scrapping Rule 50 percent, according to which religious schools must make half of their places open to children of different faiths.

Will Tanner, Rishi Sunak's deputy chief of staff, and James Nation According to The Sunday Times, the deputy head of Number 10's policy team is taking part in the consultations.

Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, is also believed to be supports repeal and plays a significant role in the debate.

David Cameron, who described himself as «evangelical» in relation to his Christian faith, introduced the restriction while in a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats.

An estimated 850,000 children are educated in Catholic schools across England and Wales. , making them the largest provider of secondary education and the second largest provider of primary education in England.

Most types of faith schools in England are eligible for exemptions from the Equality Act 2010, allowing them to give priority to the children of a family who share their faith if they have too many followers.

This may include requiring parents and children to regularly attend a local place of worship or provide proof of baptism. As a result, some parents are unable to send their children to their local state school.

UN calls for ban

In August, the United Nations called for a ban on the use of religion to select pupils in England. MPs called it a «secular attack» on faith-based schools.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child published a report on children's rights in the UK, which concluded that «preventing the use of religion as a selection criterion for admission to schools in England» is a priority.

It also recommended repealing legal provisions for compulsory attendance at congregational worship and called on the government to develop legislative guidelines to ensure that children have the right to withdraw from religious activities without parental consent.

The report sparked a backlash from MPs, religious leaders and religious school organizers, who said it would be “illiberal” to deny religious families the fundamental right to religious education and said it was incorrect to say that congregational attendance at worship was compulsory.

Nick Fletcher, Conservative MP for Don Valley and a member of the education select committee, described it as “an attack on people and religious institutions.”

“This does not appear to be the case. come from a position of tolerance, but rather from a position of intolerance,” he said. “I am confident that here in the UK we will continue to respect Christianity and other great religions and recognize the enormous benefits they and the institutions they run bring to our society.”

A Department for Education spokesman said: “ The diversity of schools in this country is one of the most valuable assets of our education system, and faith schools play a key role in this. As we continue to support diversity and quality education for all, we keep all policies under review to ensure this country's education system is world-leading.»