To think it is time to secularise all state-funded education?

[fideline]

Just that really.

[ItsNotATest]

I agree

[Chwaraeteg]

Yanbu. I think any public institutions should be secular.

[TidyDancer]

Agree x1000.

[ConferencePear]

It definitely gets my vote.

[wimblehorse]

YANBU

[JanePurdy]

Me too.

[Phineyj]

YANBU. I didn't realise until reading about this that only 10% of the capital cost and none of the running costs come from the church (if we're talking CofE schools - not sure if the same split applies to other faiths). I'd assumed that to have one's name on a school the contribution was rather more than that! The CofE made a huge contribution to providing free education in the past, but in this day and age, it seems very odd to have so many primaries in particular be sponsored by the church.

[Ilikesweetpeas]

I disagree, love that we had a choice of church or community school and am delighted with the strong Christian values that my DD's school promotes. I appreciate though that it's hard for parents who don't have a choice and have to use a church school when that is not their preference

[Patchouli]

Yanbu

[BackOnlyBriefly]

YANBU

It would be better for religious people too. After all a secular school is better than one that teaches that your religion is the wrong one.

[nancy75]

ilikesweetpeas - the trouble is that in some areas there is no choice between a church school and secular one. For your dd this has worked out ok - you like the strong christian values - would it be the same if the school was equally good but had strong jewish/muslim/hindu values?

[rabbitlady]

definitely not.

[NorksAreMessy]

And it would stop the blatant nonsense that sees parents going to church for two years to get their child into the state school across the road that happens to be CofE

[Kleptronic]

Where I live, it's a case of if you're in a deprived area and the wrong religion, your child doesn't get to go to the 'good' school. That's wrong.

[Stokes]

YANBU. I don't have children yet, but when I do they'll be raised atheist. It's strange to me that they will likely go to a school that will have a religous ethos, and teach God as fact rather than faith.

I have no problem with anyone raising their children in a religious faith, but I don't think state schools should facilitate that during school hours.

[hoobypickypicky]

YANBU. I don't buy the "I want the Christian values" argument. You can have good values of kindness, respect for others, selflessness, moral rectitude or what have you in a secular environment - the two are not mutually exclusive.

[theeternalstudent]

Absolutely.
Having grown up on the West Cost of Scotland where asking what school you went to meant asking what religion you were, coupled with the Orange Walks and the religious divide, how could I not think otherwise???

Sorry, I haven't explained that very well. For me my lasting memory of religion and schools is that of segregation and highlighting difference. It created divides and separated communities. Schools promoted early segregation. For me it promotes discrimination.

[hoobypickypicky]

"Are you planning to buy the school buildings off the church or build replacements?"

But surely if the church is as all-loving and all-giving as it folk will have us believe it will donate the buildings to the state for the purpose of the common good.

Won't it?

Oh.

[TheCrackFox]

YANBU

Far better for society that children of different faiths mix together.

[Nancy66]

Totally. One of those things I can't quite believe hasn't happened yet.

[WhosLookingAfterCourtney]

YANBU.

I don't want Christian values foisted upon my children thank you very much.

[Jesuisunepapillon]

I agree, it's ludicrous that it isn't the case in this day and age.

That said, I once read the argument that we are such an atheist society because children get their fill of nonsense religion at school. Most move away from it as they age because they see the arguments are flimsy. In the U.S.A where schools are secular, there is a lot more of an issue with creationism/religious fundamentalism.