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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To Pretend to be Catholic

201 replies

Aeschylus · 14/04/2010 20:43

For our DS to get a School place.

Basically the best primary school in our area is Catholic, and quite frankly I think religion is all a load of old mumbo jumbo.

However we are at a dilemma as to if we should lie and cheat so he gets a place.

ofsted report is fantastic, spoke to the head and he wants to meet us, we wont have a chance if we dont say we are Catholic. I know of some parents who lie about their address to get the school they want, but is this a step to far.

What do you think?

OP posts:
LaurieFairyCake · 14/04/2010 20:45

You won't be able to convince anyone

there's funny handshakes and stuff

ginghamgiraffe · 14/04/2010 20:48

Someone else discussing this earlier here Lots of salient points imo.

dobbyssocks · 14/04/2010 20:48

Yes I think YABU and to be honest I don't think you'd get very far, pretty sure they'll want more than your word for it that you are.

Is it definitely the case that you won't get in? About 1/2 the kids who got into our local Catholic school this year aren't Catholic and it is a really good school excellent ofsted etc just not many Catholics round here I guess!

RunawayWife · 14/04/2010 20:48

Sorry but you will need a form signed by your priest.

radiohelen · 14/04/2010 20:49

Don't forget you'll be expected to drink blood and become a cannibal.
If you can live with it.........

But then they will know you are lying because the local parish priest won't know you and will not have heard your confession...

nancy75 · 14/04/2010 20:49

i think its harder than just saying you are catholic, i think you have to do all sorts of churchy stuff (what ever that maybe) i think some church schools want to see the child was christened before you applied to the school.
morally, much as i will get flamed for this i would have done it if no other school was available/what i wanted, i did half heartedly look into ot but we were lucky and dd got the school we wanted.

McDreamy · 14/04/2010 20:50

You may also need to provide baptism details which I'm guessing will be a problem.

Lulumaam · 14/04/2010 20:50

you're funny !

YABU

FrozenFlowers · 14/04/2010 20:50

Has your child been baptised? If he hasn't and you profess to be a Catholic, then they're going to expect a bloody good reason why. Do you regularly attend a Catholic church?

To be honest, if the school is by far an away the best in the area, it will be oversubscribed, and you won't get away with just rocking up at the door and claiming to be Catholic. They will expect some sort of evidence, and if you haven't got any, then you won't convince them. Other people who are actual practicing Catholics (or frankly even just more committed liars) will have priority over you.

BitOfFun · 14/04/2010 20:50

You'll have to put in some serious bench time at Mass, and have had your children baptised.

kitkatsforbreakfast · 14/04/2010 20:51

YABU.

Not believing in God/organised religion etc is fine.

Don't confuse that with lying. Which is not.

janeite · 14/04/2010 20:51

Of course you are being unreasonable - nowt else to say.

PoppyBella · 14/04/2010 20:51

i think its a step too far. Seeing as its a Catholic school I'm assuming he'll have to take part in mass and make religious sacraments, communion, confirmation ect. Im not sure if you could pretend to be Catholic! But if youre comfortable with it then thats fine, I just think theres a lot of stuff you have to 'pretend' to know or be comfortable with. You'll also probably be expected to be seen at mass regularly and will be obvious if you dont know the prayers ect!

itsmeitsmeolord · 14/04/2010 20:53

YABU. And I suspect deliberately provocative.

roulade · 14/04/2010 20:55

You usually need to send in your child's baptismal certificate when you apply along with the form signed by your priest. And you can't get you're child baptised as catholic unless you or your dh is a catholic.

AbsOfCroissant · 14/04/2010 20:55

I would recommend showing them your original post to convince them.

noblegiraffe · 14/04/2010 20:55

The Church won't just dunk your kid either, you have to go to baptism classes.

They know that some people pretend just to get their kids into Catholic schools so they're on the look-out for it.

nancy75 · 14/04/2010 20:57

just out of interest what happens if you really do find god and want your child to go to a church school? how do they tell new recruits from fakers?

boiledeggandsoldiers · 14/04/2010 20:57

I wouldn't do it.

Ladyanonymous · 14/04/2010 20:59

YABU.

People like you have made my life hell for the last three years, I have 3 kids at 3 different schools because I couldn't get two of my children into the same middle school under the sibling requirement because so many other people lied about their addresses and their religion.

Makes my blood boil.

RubyBuckleberry · 14/04/2010 21:00

i know someone who did this. they went to church for a year, had to get a reference yadda yadda

yanbu but why would you want your child going to a catholic mumbo jumbo school if you think it is mumbo jumbo? what if DC ends up mumbo jumboed?

Pluto · 14/04/2010 21:00

See yesterday's thread. I think you know YABU.

RubyBuckleberry · 14/04/2010 21:01

actually yabu

charley24 · 14/04/2010 21:01

YABU

My daughter didn't get a place a few years ago. We had sibling link (DD1 attended and was not catholic - but I had no issues with this as I ws happy for her to make her own religious choices).

There were 30 places and we were no 32, many catholic children had chosen the school who had been baptized before their 1st birthday, attended mass and communion/confession (sorry I am not sure if this is right, but they attended church as a catholic would) and they had letters from their priests.

I had to accept the fact that faith schools have their own admission criteria and I did not fit that, I certainly wouldn't lie to get a school place. After sometime end exploring many options I found an alternative school in another authority which could take both girls. I would hate to think some of those children's parent's 'lied' to take a place which I could have had (and not had to distress DD1 aged 8 and make her move school) but I would hope all of those children had been given places because they had chosen a faith which happened to be part of a very good school and unfortunately I was just u nlucky there were no non catholic places left.

So YABU In my opinion.

macmam · 14/04/2010 21:04

If I was the Head I'd make you say a decade of the rosary, the Mysteries of light to test you. All of the crap that is bandied about on Mumsnet about the Catholic Church never deters those who want the good schools....