The Liberal Democrats have voted at their spring conference to allow state-funded faith schools to continue their faith-based selection of pupils should they come to power.

The conference in Harrogate voted against proposals to ban the building of more state funded faith-based schools

However the Lib Dems said that faith schools would have their state funding cut if they could not demonstrate a commitment to inclusiveness.

Faith schools would also lose their opt out from equalities legislation in employing staff – with the exception of religious education teachers.

Students would be permitted not to attend faith based school assemblies “[when] they are old enough to decide for themselves”.

Although many Lib Dems argued during the debate that faith schools were divisive, others, including deputy leader Vince Cable, said that they should be included in a tolerant society, reports the BBC.

Some argued that banning faith schools would be unrealistic as they account for one third of schools in the UK.

Last Friday, Anglican, Catholic, Muslim, Sikh, Jewish and Hindu representatives sent a letter to the Guardian arguing that banning the selection of students on the basis of faith at faith schools would be “perverse and unjust”.

The conference also pledged to spend £2.5 billion on closing the gap between rich and poor students if the party were elected and that infant class sizes would be reduced to 15 students. The national curriculum would also be slimmed down and an independent Education Standards Authority set up.