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?

Oakmaiden no, I've already said that I wanted my children first and foremost to attend a local catholic school if possible, I then chose second a local community school as opposed to the next nearest Catholic school which is 10 miles away. If it had come down to it and my children hadn't have got into their first choice then I'd have simply sent them to the next local community school as despite faith being a huge factor in our family I also wanted my children to benefit from being at a local school were they can feel part of a community and have friends close by, so no I would never have chosen to send them miles away, simply because the school was a faith one.

scabz there are specific exclusions in the Equality Act for religions. It's disgraceful that people are allowed to discriminate on the grounds of superstition

I find it fascinating that there are two questions people of faith always ignore

1. Do they think it's fair that they have a choice of 33% more schools than people without faith?
2. If a faith based education is so important, why would they even want to apply to a non faith school?

NotAllCatholics

Jenga Are you honestly denying religious privilege?

Why should the tax payer fund a better choice for someone with an imaginary friend?

^^This.

No revenue collected by any government should be spent to provide favorable circumstances for religion. If someone wants to believe in some sort of invisible sky daddy and burning bushes and talking shrubs and virgins being impregnated by the holy ghost, have at it. But not on my dime.

Can I just say - I recently moved one of mine to a faith school because he was unhappy at his former school. It was the only viable alternative. We were never ONCE asked about our faith in the whole process. We are atheists. It's a bit of a myth that you have to attend church or be baptised to go to a faith school.

Additionally teachers that are religious get first dibs.... proper discrimination on all levels.

I've worked in many schools and the crap spouted by people on here is very, very unusual in this day and age. Most faith schools are like other schools but only teach that specific religion in RE lessons. There aren't hours of praying and "God forbids contraception" as a general rule/policy.

Cait. It's not a myth, not at all. The reason you weren't asked is because it was an in year admission, they need to fill the place.

Icy. In the local Catholic secondary school prays every lesson.

Read any religious schools admission policy.

Its just not on that so many of our local schools are faith schools.

In a 0.6 mile radius to us in London- roughly the maximum distance you are likely to live away from a school to get into it here - there are two non-denominational primary schools, three CofE, 3 RC, 1 Jewish. So if you're CofE or RC you get a choice of 6 schools, whereas us non-faith-ers only get a choice of two.

Thats just ridiculously unfair.

Its even worse at secondary school level, now several of the previously non-denom secondaries have become 'Christian ethos' academies and offer a percentage of places to practising Christians only (and thats on top of the actual CofE and RC schools locally).

It stinks. They shouldn't receive any government funding at all, in my view.

We were not quizzed about our children's religion when they went to the very good CoE school in the next village. Neither of them were CoE.

Posie, I don't believe you. Are your children at this school? How do you know they pray every lesson? Because, again, even back in the 70s in my convent, we didn't do this.

I am calling bullsh1t on most of what you post.

I would not consider sending my children to a faith school. I don't agree with them or grammar schools for that matter.
All schools funded by the state should be equal and open to everybody. I can't see any other area in which this kind of selection would be tolerated.

Actually, I've already answered those questions, I am not ignoring them, but let me say again that no, I don't think that it's neccesarily fair that people of faith have more choice ofschools. But my response to that is, that it's hardly my fault that that is the way things are. Secondly a faith based education is important to me BUT so is having my children at a local school were they feel included, not at a school miles away whichh would mean they would have to get up at a ridiculous time to get two or three buses there and then back home at the end of the day. So please, don't question my commitment to my faith, I also have a commitment to my children and doing what I think is best for them, in whatever circumstances arise.

Sorry? Abraid2?

You call bullshit. Fine.

Which facts are you doubting dear?

I'm because if faith schools are like other schools why aren't they just a normal school. Why not just have a normal school with RE lessons. Is it because there's a fear that if the children hear about other religions they might convert/question the religion? Or do you not want them to mix with the heathens - which they will have to do when they go to work/get out in the real world?
Would we tolerate religious universities ?

You do not that have to be baptized or have faith to go to an undersubscribed faith school. Schools take people of the appropriate faith first, then any faith then everyone else. Undersubscribed faith schools are no better or worse than any other school in the catchment.

My sons go to a CofE school (not really by choice! My eldest spent half a term without a school place at all when we moved here at the beginning of his year 1 and we grabbed the first place that came up) and I am a governor there... And I still don't agree with faith schools. DH was raised Roman Catholic in Eastern Europe and is adamant that our kids will never attend a Catholic school, ever. He was not pleased that they ended up at any sort of faith school but is OK with the school they attend as the Christian aspect is very very low key (needs to be really, the majority of pupils are of other faiths). It irritates me that there are so many faith schools in the city I live in. Even two of the apparently secular secondaries are run by bodies with a 'Christian ethos'. Religion is fine if that's what you're into, but the extent of its involvement in schools should be confined to RE lessons.

I don't need to read to know that there are not daily prayers in any of my local faith schools. I've bloody been there!

I'm not religious but my friend (an Assistant Head) is a Pentecostal Christian.

When I asked her about faith schools, she said, "Jesus went where the lepers, drunks, prostitutes and thieves were. Why would he want an exclusive club for those that believe?"

I work in an inner city primary. The faith schools are an exclusive club in my area, able to cherry pick the families with the best attendance, the most parental engagement and the fewest safeguarding and CP issues.

Religion has no place in state funded education.

caitlinohara - you dont live in London, then.

At the local RC schools near me, you have to be baptised in the first 6 months of life and attend Mass regularly (the priest has an attendance book) to be in with a cats chance of hell of getting in. Nobody who wasn't practising Catholic (or a pretend one ) gets a place at a Catholic school here.

At the local CofE schools the admissions policies offer places to practising CofE children, then children from other Christian denominations, then children of OTHER FAITHS before considering non-faith children.

I'm an atheist, but from a big Irish RC family, so know all the ins and outs. Its just preposterous. to be onset.

Invisible sky daddy?.....nice, very nice. Well I'm sorry to tell you LeaLeander, faith schools aren't going away, so I suppose you'll just have to come to terms with that.

"Secondly a faith based education is important to me BUT so is having my children at a local school were they feel included, not at a school miles away whichh would mean they would have to get up at a ridiculous time to get two or three buses there and then back home at the end of the day"

But you don't mind another kid having to do this because their local school is faith based, so even though they live next door to it they lose out to someone from the next village? How very Christian of you.