To not care that two thirds of schools are flouting the law

[Mitmoo]

ON R5Live now, it is being discussed that the law says that collective Christian worship should happen every day at school but two thirds of schools aren't doing it.

I really don't care, the law is wrong, why are they interfering?

AIBU not to care?

[Insomnia11]

I feel quite strongly about this. I think the law should be revised so that NO school is allowed to teach religion as fact. I think there should be no official religion in this country, and there should be no bishops in the house of lords.

I don't think there should be any such thing as faith schools either. All education should be secular. No RE lessons, but religion AND philosophy lessons. Always to be taught in a "Some people believe this" way. If people want their kids to follow a particular religion then they can go to church/Sunday school/mosque etc in their own time.

I'm all for freedom to practise religion, and wearing of religious articles within reason, but I don't want religions to have ANY say in running this country or about what children are taught.

I'm agnostic rather than atheist and was ambivalent about the whole issue until recently several pieces of important legislation were watered down in the UK because of pressure from religious groups. Also having seen the rise and influence of the Christian right (should be oxymoronic, but never mind) in the US I don't want that spreading over here.

I think school assemblies are quite a good thing. But they shouldn't be for saying prayers, Bible readings and singing hymns.

Why doesn't this Govt at least revise the legislation to at least allow schools to do what they want in this regard, taking into account the views of parents, teachers and governors? It would be a step in the right direction. No point having a law if it isn't enforced or wanted. It's hopelessly out of date.

[TalkinPeace2]

Sardine
the thing is that your area - central london presumably - is VERY VERY unusual

[meditrina]

Insomnia11: I'm curious - which legislation has been watered down?

The C of E may be an established church, but it's tenets have been diluted to the point of total wishy-washy-ness, such that they don't seem to have any political force at all; and there isn't really another voice - or have I missed something?

[SardineQueen]

It's not central london, it's a north london borough

My borough has over 300,000 people in it. That's more than 1 in every 200 people in the country. And I'm sure other boroughs have similar problems as I have read about it on here. So not that unusual, at all.

I'm not sure what you're arguing about. You started off saying that taking religion out of state schools was a very bad thing, then blamed the existence of religious schools on tony blair for some reason, then said it was some specific sorts of religious schools you didn't like that TBH I haven't heard of, and I don't understand how your dislike of religious schools ties in with your statement that taking religion out of schools is a bad thing.

I'm having trouble working out what it is that you are saying?
And why does it matter if some areas of the country have faith schools which are 100% of that faith - what difference does it make to anything?

[magicmelons]

Taxi drivers: British taxi drivers must, by law carry a shovel and a bale of hay in the back of their hackney cab. I don't suppose this is appropriate any more but its still a Law, should we enforce it?

[SardineQueen]

?

The rule about having communal daily worship that is broadly christian in nature affects a lot of people, every day.

Taxi drivers not having bales of hay does not.

Do you have a link to the law? I could do with a laugh

[SardineQueen]

According to a quick google the law about straw was repealed in 1976.

So it's a rubbish point, which is not even right.

[2rebecca]

I don't think religious schools should be state funded. I have no desire for my taxes to be spent brainwashing children to believe in myths and legends. RE should be taught as an intersting array of myths and legends that people have believed through the ages and some continue to believe in with no 1 religion given more credence than any other.

[minimisschief]

I think the christmas thing is a rather crap argument tbh. How many non religous people celebrate christmas as a religous occasion. Answer is none, they celebrate the holiday and father christmas and the giving of gifts. Just because it is also a christian holiday doesn't mean that atheists do not see it as a different holiday. Besides it wasn't originally a christian holiday to start with

[Mitmoo]

2rebecca I have no problem with faith schools, parents of children who have a faith pay their taxes too. The churches partly subsidise these schools so they save the taxpayers money.


For me it is about choice. If I send my child to a faith school they'll be taught a faith, parents choice.

But if I send them to a non faith school, they shouldn't e expected to participate in Christian worship, if parents wanted that they'd send them to a faith school.