Religious schools are expected to play an increased role in the secondary school system in England - as the government prepares to increase its subsidy for church-sponsored schools.

Its plans to revitalise secondary education include incentives for more single-faith schools - in the belief that religious schools perform better than mainstream comprehensives.

At present, religious organisations have to contribute 15% to the capital costs of over 600 secondary schools.

The government has said it will cut that to 10%, allowing religious groups to fund extra places.

Among the denominations expected to raise their numbers of secondary schools is the Church of England, with proposals for another 100.

There are already plans for the Church of England to sponsor two "city academies", which will attempt to create centres of excellence for pupils in deprived inner-city areas.

There are already state-funded Roman Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh and Greek Orthodox schools - with now the possibility of more of these denominational schools where there is sufficient demand from parents.

'Commitment'

Such religious schools show an "absolute commitment and enthusiasm, from parents and families as well as those supporting the schools", said the Education Secretary David Blunkett.

While the increase in church participation in state education is unlikely to draw much criticism from any of the major parties in the United Kingdom, such proposals would be highly controversial in the United States.

The separation between religion and state education has been a long running source of dispute and legal argument in the United States, with ongoing battles over the place of prayer and religious displays in the classroom.

This has involved legal actions over the posting up the Ten Commandments and public prayer at school sports events.