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Original poster

Church schools - how can they get away with it?

567 replies

CountessDracula · 23/08/2006 21:33

Am I right in thinking that they are state funded?

How come they can pick and choose when others can't? Isn't it essentially exclusion on the basis of religion, isn't that BAD in the current climate?

OP posts:
Original poster
CountessDracula · 23/08/2006 21:59

tc IT IS THE LOCAL SCHOOL
and DD CAN'T GO THERE COS WE AREN'T RELIGIOUS

geddit??

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thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 23/08/2006 22:00

yes cd - they are largely funded by the tax-payer. iirc the church needs to have a 20 per cent stake in the capital costs in order to be able to control admissions and have its own board of governors - the rest of the money comes from you and me. But I can't send my dds to the church school round the corner because I refuse to be a church-going hypocrite. I agree whole-heartedly with you it's outrageous. In my borough something like 70 odd percent of primaries are church schools. now try telling me that 70 odd percent of the people who live here are committed Christians.

jamiesam · 23/08/2006 22:00
  • why so much baiting of Catholics on this thread?
Original poster
CountessDracula · 23/08/2006 22:00

plenty of two faced peeps round here go and pretend to be catholic to get their kids in

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Cappuccino · 23/08/2006 22:01

weellll, (hides behind sofa), if the Catholics hadn't started it up it wouldn't be there, so it wouldn't be your local school, would it?

Original poster
CountessDracula · 23/08/2006 22:01

I don't care what religion they are

I don't want my dd being forced into a religion because of her school

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Thomcat · 23/08/2006 22:02

It's the only school local to you, really
Wow, we're swamped with schools here, there's one on every bloody corner!

Yes I do get what you're saying hon', I just still fail to see it as aproblem from where I'm sat, I'm just too laid back and don't give a shit!!
Still think you're great though

Cappuccino · 23/08/2006 22:02

C of E don't force it

like I said

we're too apathetic

Original poster
CountessDracula · 23/08/2006 22:02

so what?

It is not the middle ages, things do evolve you know

I may have to apply and JR it

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Thomcat · 23/08/2006 22:03

And my local catholic school don't NOT allow non-catholics in. There are some children whose families are not Catholic attending the school.

alex8 · 23/08/2006 22:03

some of the c of e schools near me only accept you if you got to their local church, not any church. not at all lax!

Original poster
CountessDracula · 23/08/2006 22:04

no but it is the only one on the way to work

all the others involve lots of faffing about

I find I am resentful that she can't go to the school next door

I don't even want her to go I don't want religion forced down her

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CountTo10 · 23/08/2006 22:04

C of E tend to be open to all as this is a 'C of E' country so these schools are considered the standard. Its the catholic/moslem schools that are a bit different - they are supposed to have a specific number of places in each year though for non-catholic/moslem children. That's how it works in our area anyway.

I think if you are particularly religious then it makes sense to send your child to a religious school.

When I was at school it wasn't attached to a religion but we still sang hymns and learnt about the bible as that was how things were - never used to be a stigma attached to 'religious' schools or teachings - think its just symptomatic of the times we live in.

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 23/08/2006 22:04

Cof E schools are just the same.

Cappuccino · 23/08/2006 22:05

how strong is their admission policy?

and how strong is their worship element?

have you visited the school cos these are questions you could ask; it varies from school to school

olivia35 · 23/08/2006 22:06

I think the problem is that church schools ARE often educationally better, because you have a 'core' of parents with certain aspirational values - being a religious &/or community minded individual probably also makes you a keeno parent.

Then other, non-religious parents decide they want a piece of the action.

& ultimately you end up with the 'best' school in the area (all those lovely involved parents & their lovely strictly brought-up kids) which is simultaneously preaching something which is fairly unacceptable to families who are a) not part of that particular faith & b) insufficiently hypocritical to pretend they are.

& other schools suffer because St. Bogwoppit's becomes seen as the school to aim for.

Which leaves parents like mine (& now me & dh) deciding between St. Bogwoppit's, assuming they'd have us, & Bogstandard Primary.

Cappuccino · 23/08/2006 22:06

oooh hatlady same as what?

this is all moving a bit fast for me

Original poster
CountessDracula · 23/08/2006 22:06

yes I know for a fact that right footers not welcome AT ALL

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Thomcat · 23/08/2006 22:06

So you don't want her to go to the school, but you'd like it to be non-catholic so then she could becasue it's on the way to work. Okay. So anything else matter, ofsted reports anything like that?

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 23/08/2006 22:06

c of e schools are NOT open to all. all of the ones round here give preference to church goers, which means that by the time they've let in all the hypocrites there's no room for anyone else. what really riles me is that if I was involved in running a c of e school I would far rather have an honest agnostic/atheist type than a pretender

Cappuccino · 23/08/2006 22:07

my c of e school is

as I've already said

Original poster
CountessDracula · 23/08/2006 22:08

I am lucky that the alternatives are as good academically, no worries there. AND they are multicultural and sound. Don't worry I wouldn't send her there unless it was the only option. I don't want her brought up in that environment.

However I DO resent the fact that my local school which I fund is not accessible or desirable on religious grounds

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southeastastra · 23/08/2006 22:09

there have always been faith schools, i think the way to look at it is to get involved with the school You have chosen and make that one the best you can for your children and community.

Cappuccino · 23/08/2006 22:11

CD we had to fight like buggers to get the LEA to agree to let us send dd to our local school because she is disabled and it wasn't accessible

they wanted to ship her halfway across town and I know there are other parents of mainstream disabled kids who had to put up with that

don't really know where I'm going with this except to say you are lucky you can take your pick of schools and this seems like a minor gripe in the scheme of things

Original poster
CountessDracula · 23/08/2006 22:12

tc you are the biz too btw

southy yes of course I will but I still resent this

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