Church schools - how can they get away with it?

[CountessDracula]

Am I right in thinking that they are state funded?

How come they can pick and choose when others can't? Isn't it essentially exclusion on the basis of religion, isn't that BAD in the current climate?

[LIZS]

I thought they were another form of "opted out" schools which control their own LEA budget and may reiev some from the Church to which they are attached, and which can set their own admissions criteria, one of which could be regular attendance at a particular church or living in the parish .

[CountessDracula]

but they are funded by the taxpayer?

I think it is wrong if they are

[southeastastra]

it's a loaded topic!!

[CountessDracula]

It just seems unfair

[Thomcat]

So what's the answer, not have church schools. if people who don't have a faith all sent their kids to a church school it wouldn't be a church school.

Does the same go for special needs schools? Should children without special needs be allowed to go, becasue it's a great school with wonderful teachers?

Not arguing, just commenting btw - so don't start, okay!!!!

[Thomcat]

And is it sexist if a girl isn't allowed to attend a boys school?????!!!!!!!

[LIZS]

But it is free to all for whom it is relevant because it is State/Church funded . Would you rather they were all fee paying ? It is only "wrong" because they have a reputation for being better performing schools and therfore often oversubscribed, if all schools were equal quality-wise would you have the same issue ?

[CountessDracula]

yes but you can't send your child to a church school (around here) unless you are a churchgoer (genuinely or not!) So no chance of the church school being turned non-church.

Obv special needs schools are totally different. Just because you are catholic or c of e or muslim doesn't give you a SEN. Your special need should be fulfilled with your family in your place of worship, NOT in a state funded school

[olivia35]

Church schools should not be a feature of the state education system IMO, having attended a peculiarly hellish example because my (atheist) parents thought it would be the best of a bad lot locally.

[CountessDracula]

I think that single sex and religious schools are both anachronisms

[olivia35]

Specialist colleges & SEN schools cater for students with particular aptitudes/talents/educational needs. That isn't the case for church schools.

[Cappuccino]

we've been here before, many looooong, loooong threads. It usually ends up with MrsBadcrumble and me getting into a scrap

i only have experience of C of E but basically it's very very rare for a church school to exclude on the grounds of religion. you don't usually have to be religious and you don't have to attend the worship. my dd goes to a church school and I'd say I've seen 5 of the kids in her class at the church.

(Mrs Badcrumble look I'm going, see, I've got my pyjamas on and everything )

[CountessDracula]

I have no problems with people paying to send their children to schools with leanings of their choice

I just don't see why the nearest primary school to me (by a long way) should be reserved for catholics. I was brought up a catholic, I am not religious and am not prepared to pretend to be a catholic to get dd into school, neither do I want her to go to a catholic school. I want her to go to the local school and I don't understand why the church should be funded to spread its propaganda via my tax contributions

[Thomcat]

But if you don't go to church or have a faith then why would you want to send you child to a church school? What's the problem?
It's a church school for a reason, because the parents want their child to be bought up in the , say Catholic ethos.
Why should a family who don't have any faith send their kid to such a school? Becasue they have the reputation of being better schools. Well why are they better, what makes them that way?

[CountessDracula]

well cappucino, you can't get into this school unless you are a church going catholic

[olivia35]

In my pyjamas & off soon too, honest...

[CountessDracula]

yes tc that is why I said that I don't want her to go to a catholic school

It is state funded it should not BE catholic

[Cappuccino]

ah well, catholics, they should all go and jump in the sea

imo

[CountessDracula]

it is also no better than the other schools but it is closer

[CountessDracula]

catholic, c of e, muslim, whatever

I just don't see why I fund something I am excluded from

[Thomcat]

Sorry, I'm a dimwit. I don't get why it shouldn't be statefunded.
I just don't get what the big problem is.

[Cappuccino]

as I said I only have experience of C of E

and it's different, really. Don't lump us in with those over-committed Catholics. Cos we really couldn't give a bugger.

[alex8]

The C of E church I did a teaching practice has a sliding scale of entrance. First were c of e kids, then any kids who were religions (eg had references from Iman etc) then lastly local non religious kids.