School Hides Scientology Links

Evening Argus, Friday June 10 1994

THE GREENFIELDS brochure tells parents: "One of the most important decisions you have to make is choosing the right school for your child.

We agree.

That is why it is important to have ALL the facts.

The Forest Row school follows the educational principles of the man who founded the Church of Scientologu which has its national headquarters just a few miles away.

Yet the brochure fails to mention the cult.

L. Ron Hubbard, branded as a "charlatan and worse" by a High Court judge, is referred to only as "educator and author".

The school also describes itself as inter-denominational.

But these are the facts which are not featured in the brochure:

* The educational principles used at the school are also used in Scientology.

* Principal Margaret Hodkin and most of the teaching staff are Scientologists.

* Many of the children are from Scientology families.

* The school is featured in the handbook of the cult, What is Scientology.

* It has also been profiled in the magazine of the International Association of Scientologists.

Mrs Hodkin, who worked for 13 years at the national headquarters of the cult in Saint Hill, East Grinstead, is currently on holiday abroad.

We were asked to put our questions to the school solicitor, who is also her son.

Peter Hodkin said: "The literature makes quite clear that the school is based on the educational philosophy of L. Ron Hubbard.

"But if you went down there I don't think you would find it very much different to any other school, quite frankly."

Asked if it had formal links with the cult, Mr Hodkin replied: "I don't think there is anything you would describe as formal links between the school and the church. There wouldn't be any really. The school is run by an independent trust."

The small print at the bottom of school literature tells a different story.

The sentence reads: "Greenfields is licensed by Applied Scholastics International...a trademark owned by ABLE."

No further information is given about the groups.

In fact, ABLE (The Association for Better Living and Education) was set up by the cult in 1988 to "support, promote and expand the social betterment organisations that use Mr Hubbard's technologies in society."

Its UK office is at Saint Hill in East Grinstead, the national headquarters of Scientology.

One of the groups which receives support and sponsorship is Applied Scholastics International.

Both ABLE and ASI are listed in the cult's own directory of Scientology organisations.

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