To be sick of people slating Faith schools

[Jenga123]

Don't get me wrong I understand why some people may be against them but the negativity I've come across recently is, quite frankly ridiculous. I've been told by friends of friends, family etc that they pay for my dd's to attend their catholic primary and secondary schools and that tax payers that are paying towards these schools should not have to do so if their children can't attend these schools. Well let me just say the average amount of income tax each individual pays, that actually goes towards the upkeep of schools is minuscule, so they aren't in fact paying for them. Myself and the other parents of my dd's schools pay a considerable sum each year to the upkeep of the school and the school contributes 10% towards the costs of running their school and repairs etc.

I also come across animosity at the fact my children are getting a good education and people putting that down to them simply being baptised. But my point is if they feel that their own children are missing out by going to a less desirable school then I'm sure they could have them baptised therefor giving them a higher chance of securing a place at a faith school, and whilst I'm not advocating people pretending to be of the faith, I'm simply saying there are options.

As for my dd's schools like I said they are Catholic and are obviously places were parents of the same faith opt to send their children as they want them to be educated within that faith, and I can't see any problem with this to be honest so why am I hearing nothing but negativity from people?

Forgetting the religious aspect of this argument- it is very inefficient.

Duplicating of facilities in one area means a worse education for ALL our dcs.

Spectacular missing the point about discrimination

The Op said she's sick of people slating faith schools.
You're not talking about faith schools, Bertrand: you're talking about Christian faith schools. You even made a comment about "the arrogance of Christians".

You've made some false statements that have been challenged. Now I'm questioning why you have such a big issue over Christian faith schools.

"You're not talking about faith schools, Bertrand: you're talking about Christian faith schools. You even made a comment about "the arrogance of Christians". "

Show me a state school which gives priority to other faith and watch me go!

As a teacher I can be discriminated in my work because of faith or a lack of.

In what way?

As a teacher I can be discriminated in my work because of faith or a lack of.

Yes - VA faith schools are allowed to use faith as a selection criteria in recruitment.

Just because it's mainly Christians doing it doesn't make it OK to reject someone for a job based on how they spend their weekends.

Tanith, you're being a little disingenuous. Of the 6817 faith schools in the state sector, there were 47 Jewish, 23 Muslim, 10 Sikh and 4 Hindu schools at the start of September 2014.

Of course we are mainly talking about Christian schools and those who promote them.

Jassy has just done so, Bertrand. Off you go

I mean, really you should be glad. It seems that many faith schools have taken on board the criticisms and dropped faith-based admissions criteria.

Perhaps you should concentrate on those other, much more discriminatory, admissions policies.

Faith, of any sort, is a completely unacceptable admission criterion for a state funded school.

The OP was about Christian faith schools, and that is why the discussion has focussed on Christian schools. The same arguments apply to any other faith.

I have taken part in many heated discussions on here about the outrage that is academic selection at 11.

Thread is about a Catholic school, so it's hardly unreasonable to focus on Christian faith schools.

As has been pointed out, the fact that there are other discriminatory admissions policies hardly justifies a faith-based discriminatory policy.

Tanith, you're misinterpreting. Again.

Parents opt to chose to send their children to a school so that their children can further their knowledge and learn more about their faith, and I can't see the problem with this to be honest.

That should be for church (etc), not state-funded education.

I went to a catholic school as I am RC. My DC are Muslim (as is DH) I wouldn't send them to a Muslim faith school as I think faith schools create a sense of being separate from other groups in society based on my experience of RC primary and secondary education.

Well let me just say the average amount of income tax each individual pays, that actually goes towards the upkeep of schools is minuscule, so they aren't in fact paying for them. Myself and the other parents of my dd's schools pay a considerable sum each year to the upkeep of the school and the school contributes 10% towards the costs of running their school and repairs etc.

The taxpayer is possibly contributing something like 3000 pounds per child each year, although if it's a primary school in London it could be double that. Unless your contribution is measured in thousands of pounds each year for each child, it's not a significant proportion of the schools total cost. 10% coming from the church (I assume you meant) is also fairly insignificant compared to what the taxpayer puts in.

Chazs, I agree - I went to a (non-state-funded) faith school as a kid. We looked Catholics as some sort of Other - you would never consider going out with a guy from a Catholic school.

People from non-Christian churches were properly exotic.

Our school grounds,building etc is owned by the church they also pay for repairs, expansion, new building etc. I think it is entirely reasonable that since they are paying for it, priority should be given to those who go to church.

I think we can reach agreement on this. Why don't we allow the school to reserve places for church-goers children in proportion to the funding provided by the church? In general that will mean nearly all places are not reserved, as in nearly all church schools the vast majority of the budget is funded by the state. (My memory may be wrong, but I think it is more than 90%, on average.)

Long story, and boring, so I won't bother explaining why... But my kids went to catholic primary.

Due to some atheist views I expressed on Facebook a parent wrote to me saying she represented the governors and suggested if I wasn't catholic my kids went to a different school. I was challenged on numerous occasions by Catholic parents who felt I shouldn't send my kids to the school.
I was told by many that I should just suck up any indoctrination as after all it was a catholic school. Everyone, like some on this thread, refused to admit that these are state schools and therefore discriminating against other children.
As a non catholic my choice was a school in special measures or sucking up the notion my kids went to a school where they were expected to pray. This is a big deal. I am an anti theist. Christians how would you feel if your kids went to a school where they had to repeat the mantra "there is no God" three times a day?

Did I say that? Did I, on my well protected Facebook page, specifically slag off the school? No. Did I post articles by Hitchens? Yea. Did I comment on the Pope? Yep.
Is my Facebook page any businesses of the schools? No way.

Additionally I don't appreciate being accused of lying. My children prayed three times a day, unless there were additional masses. Expecting a young child to opt out would be weird. That's what they did at that school. A friend of mine has a son at a secondary school where they pray every lesson.
It's bad etiquette not to accept posts on face value.

Oh for heavens sake, Itsmine. I was talking about my personal experience in a faith school some years ago, that wasn't in the state sector. I made that clear, and was responding to Chazs description of her experience. Your experience is different? Grand, but try to refrain from calling others liars,eh?

I think you'd also benefit from properly distinguishing between religious education - part of the curriculum, teaching children about all faiths and what they believe, as taught in all schools - and religious instruction, which teaches children that the teachings of one particular faith is 'fact'.

The former does not require faith schools for it to happen, the second can be done outside schools and arguably should not be the job of the state.

*It's part of the curriculum though, you could argue the uselessness of teaching German or history too. Should we take them to foreign schools if we want them to learn languages? R.e will always be taught in school, like it or not

You're coming across very well itsmine

Must be all that religion