Attending a Catholic School as a non-practicing Catholic

‘I voted for the face eating leopard party, but I never thought the leopards would eat MY face!!’

Honestly the lack of self awareness is really something to behold. I can’t even put it into words. Basically you want other people to start sending their kids to worse schools to break the cycle people like you have created.

There are no words. Just no words. Have a nice day.

Also, the faith schools that aren’t over subscribed will admit anyone regardless of their faith. You could get a place just because you happen to live nearby (as was the case when I went to school).

Yes and I have said, a place that is gained in a fair and honest way is absolutely fine, I have zero problems with it. I took issue with you pretending to be Catholic to cheat other kids out of school places.

You still don’t seem to be able to grasp the problem. I am very opposed to religious schools (for numerous reasons stated) but I’m going out of my way to send my child to one BECAUSE THE ALTERNATIVE ISN’T AS GOOD.

I grasp this entirely, but it is extremely contradictory. The ‘system’ is the way you describe because of people like you - if people didn’t keep lying to get their intelligent kids into Catholic schools, they wouldn’t be known as great schools with clever pupils, and the cycle would be broken. You are the cause of your own problem there.

Also, I would say at least 50% (probably a lot more) of the other parents hoping to send their kids to the good school have faked their religious belief. They have all had their kids baptised in the last year and all started attending the same church exactly 12 months before admissions opened. It was a running joke. There really are not many Christians left out there who are doing this legitimately. You’re a dying breed.

If 50% of people were claiming benefits fraudulently would you see that as justification as well?

On this topic, all usual mumsnet fairness and logic goes out the window - it becomes acceptable to lie and cheat, at the expense of others.

Let’s just use a theoretical example because I think the fact it’s ‘religion’ makes people feel entitled to abuse it.

Say your child has been going to gymnastics since they were very little, have lots of friends there, really enjoy it and you’re very involved with their club. There is a school which specialises in gymnastics (yes I know that doesn’t happen!), but your child loses out on it to a parent who lies about their child enjoying gymnastics because the school is ‘better’ then their alternatives. The kid that gets the place then never goes to gymnastics, never uses the resources, while your child has to be separated from their friends and a school that fits them, all because of the other parents lying. How would you feel? Knowing they got that place through actual dishonesty?

Morally gained? Maybe hundreds of years ago, but the money today is collected from the hard working congregation.

@Wondermule, no, the upkeep of the school buildings is funded 90% by the Government and 10% by the parents' voluntary contributions, including the non-Catholic parents' contributions.

If the Church withdrew it's buildings from the state school system it would have to pay for 100% of their upkeep.

Some diocesesan authorities pool the funds for maintaining church and school buildings, which is why you may construe that the church congregations contribute to the the upkeep of the school buildings, but by that logic the school parents (including the non-RC ones).also help to maintain the church buildings.

@BigSandyBalls2015

I thought GCSE RE was compulsory in all schools now. My DDs certainly had to choose it as an option and they were at a non-denominational school (much to my very catholic mothers horror )

@KateBlush Congratulations on your school allocation! Glad to hear you're pleased with it

urgh - OP, you wrote your post while I was coming back to mine. Glad you have got a place at a school you are happy with.

Look you can justify it how you want, lying to gain a school place is as morally wrong as benefit fraud, or any other type of dishonesty.

Like I said I have zero problems with non Catholics going to Catholic schools when they’ve been offered a place through a fair and honest application.

OP, my youngest child is at at Catholic school. We are not religious at all (have never rejected religion, as it was never there for us to reject - we are just completely 'areligous'). It's all absolutely fine. It is not doing her any harm, and it's a great school.

I went to catholic schools and was taught by nuns. The religious brainwashing was constant and relentless. For thirteen years.

In primary, almost the entirety of Year 3 was spent preparing us for our first confession and first communion. Year 7 was dominated by preparing us for confirmation. In secondary school, we were taught that masturbation, contraception & sex outside of marriage were sinful. Children were taught that abortion was a ‘mortal sin’ in all cases, including rape. The school had a large ‘Justice & Peace Group’, comprised of priests, nuns, teachers and pupils. The primary purpose of this group was anti-abortion campaigning & activism both inside and outside school.

This was in the 1980s, and while some things may have changed, the primary purpose of catholic schools will always be to create more practicing catholics.

If you are going to consider sending your child to catholic schools you need to understand exactly what that means in practice.

The school buildings and land of Catholic schools are owned by the Catholic Church. The Church provides these premises, at no charge, to enable the state to fulfil its obligation to provide education for the population

Yes, the building ownership is one reason why faith schools haven't either been abolished or forced to open their admissions to all. Another reason is the churches' powerful lobbying capacity and their unelected hold over the House of Lords. And of course the schools are still very popular with a substantial electorate of voters who use them.

But the Churches' historic wealth was not always morally gained, so I don't think anyone will lose too much sleep over using one of their buildings, especially when they are contributing financially to its upkeep.

@Lockandtees

No other parents will be paying for my kids to attend a faith schools. Faith schools (at least where I live) are entirely funded by the tax payer. I have as much right to have my children educated in one as anyone else.

Er, no they’re not. We have been over this, I suggest you read my previous posts. Faith schools are in part paid for by their Church, which in turn is funded by worshippers. And you didn’t have any right at all, thats why you pretended to be a Catholic.

You seem completely oblivious to the issue that non-faith kids are often offered an inferior education and, at the very least, a limited choice of schools. There is a absolutely no justification for that. There is no place for religion within schools in a secular society. If you are religious and want your children to have a religious education then you can provide that for them in your own time and at your own expense. Not at the expense of tax payer who predominantly are not religious.

You feel very strongly against religious schools yet happily sent your kids to one when it suits you. Honestly the lack of self awareness is staggering.

However, given the system as it currently stands I have no choice but to have my kids baptised and grudgingly attend church every week to get them a place at the “good” school. The alternative is a non religious school which is underperforming. What would you do in my shoes? Send your kids to a shit school? Of course you wouldn’t.

I would be honest and look into other options. You can be deceitful if you want, but you can’t be outraged when the parents of kids you’ve deprived of places through dishonesty get annoyed about it can you?

Who needs parents to teach them honesty and honour when they can bag them some GCSEs 🙄

Phew

I currently work at an Anglican school and have worked at Catholic schools in the past. As PPs have said, Catholic schools have a huge variety of offerings from very strictly faith based education to those that just brush the surface.

Most Catholic schools (in my experience) have a large minority of practicing Catholic students (around 40%) with many more like your DD - baptised/born to Catholic parents so nominally Catholic, but not personally religious/believing. So your DD will have plenty of other students in the same boat.

Biggest day to day differences are likely to be: prayers in assembly, whole-school or yeargroup Mass (perhaps once a week or just on a few days a year), RS GCSE which is mainly Catholic faith based. I doubt your DD will feel stifled by the faith unless it's a very Catholic school. (Worth pointing out that my DH went to a Catholic school - I didn't - and he got a much better sex ed/critical thinking/well rounded education than I did!)

That said I would seriously reconsider sending your child to a Catholic school if you are so anti-Church. Non-practicing is one thing but you say you feel negative about the church - is this really what you want for your child? How would you feel if your child ended up loving the religious aspect? Or having close Catholic friends? Things to consider before accepting any offers.

I thought GCSE RE was compulsory in all schools now. My DDs certainly had to choose it as an option and they were at a non-denominational school (much to my very catholic mothers horror )

Edit: for the Friday and daily mass it wasn't compulsory just if you wanted to go.

I think it really depends on the school. I went to a Catholic private school in Scotland and it was pretty faith heavy. (Although we didn't have prayers in every class).

We have a small chapel on site where there was Friday mass and every day during Lent. We have benediction (don't think any of us enjoyed this as very boring for teens) monthly. We did have retreats but they were more themed around things like over coming things and friendship etc.

We have a few non-catholic girls I think some were Muslim and some were orthodox. However the vast majority were Catholic.

Oh and we had to do RE to S6 rather than dropping it when we started our highers. But it was nice chance to be with friends in an non exam pressure class. We watched a lot of videos.

@Wondermule Ok thank you

My comment was meant for @Lockandtees

Sorry, to prioritise Catholic children, not non-Catholic