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

[fideline]

Just that really.

One of the main things which stops secularisation being actively pursued is that so few of our politicians are prepared to 'come out' as agnostic/atheist. They would rather come out as regular sheep shaggers than having no faith.

The problem for them is that there are just enough religious politicians in positions of power to keep the 'convenient christians' toeing the establishment line.

That hadn't actually dawned on me Worry. I was thinking more in terms of politicians 'needing' to maintain the proxy selection so that they can send their children to the Oratory and such-like when the private sector is politically impossible for them.

Errol and Odd perhaps we need a new thread to poll the mini-manifesto?

In fact, the more of this thread I read, the more I think some actual campaigning/lobbying is in order.

Yes Crafty I saw that.

I just wonder whether a 'grassroots' parental campaign would be more effective in some ways.

Not all of us support all the aims of the NSS. Anything they run can be dismissed as ideologically driven and not everyone would be comfortable with associating themselves with their wider aims, despite supporting secular state ed.

fideline

If you want to start some campaigning, you can do a lot worse than start up a fair admissions lobbying group in your area. This thread has got me on the verge of doing it but I could do with a little help. Anyone in Redbridge, London with lots of spare time and a colour printer?

Actually, I've got a colour printer.

We could create a petition ourselves in the same way the woman who was campaigning against expensive holidays outside of term time did and this then forced a debate in parliament?

Has this been debated in parliament in recent years?

I am mulling it over mood

Redbridge is an interesting situation, educationally.

Have PMed you mood

Petition would be the obvious idea Bisc. Not sure about the parliamentary history.

Worry, the thing is that secularisation is not an exclusively agnostic/atheist viewpoint. The Fair Admissions campaign , and the Accord Coalition have support from all sorts of parties.

I would suggest that if we do something we should consider liasing with one or both of those bodies (rather than BHA/NSS) - as these are not 'atheist' and are focussed on these issues. (the Fair admissions campaign is more of a single issue thing per its name). If you read the Accord Coalition's 'What is Accord' - well, it looks sorta like us except they seem to be missing the stakeholder group parents.

There is a Fair Admissions Campaign group already!

I'm on their mailing list and sent them a link to this thread so I'm sure they'll be happy to offer support to anyone who's interested.

Thanks Mothership I miissed that one.

"If you read the Accord Coalition's 'What is Accord' - well, it looks sorta like us except they seem to be missing the stakeholder group parents."

That's quite a serious ommission Errol

fideline - well, I think perhaps the problem is that it's a coalition of organisations, and there simply isn't a parent's organisation for this issue.

Was just surprised they hadn't consulted or commisioned or what have you. Mind you I'm drugged up and skim-reading in a flibberty-gibbet manner.

I'll have to have a proper read when i'm more compos mentis.

Who would they consult though, representative of 'parents'?

They have commissioned at least one poll:

An opinion poll commissioned by Accord in November 2012 showed that the public agree by a ratio of four to one that ‘state funded schools, including state funded faith schools, should not be allowed to select or discriminate against prospective pupils on religious grounds in their admissions policy.’

I knew I wasn't taking things in

Errol I agree that secularisiation is not the same as agnosticism/atheism more that the political will to make a change requires the politician to be open to change and actually see the current problems rather than sticking to the 'convenient christian' party line.

I had to dig a little to find that.

The thing that frustrates me, I guess, is that there seems to be a lot of 'get involved in a local campaign' or 'write to your MP' - but unless there's a very specific issue with a particular school, I can't see this generates much other than noise.

"unless there's a very specific issue with a particular school, I can't see this generates much other than noise."

Agreed.

But it isnt just about entry criteria (which would probably be school specific) but also about the assumption that even community school's without overt church affiliation have their default position as broadly christian with a requirement for worship. This could have far broader appeal.

schools not school's