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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:
cowmad · 28/08/2006 23:17

unquiet dad...i have noticed that your really hot under collar about all this,
tbh your just not going to pursuade anyone that religeon should be removed from schools
The schools are funded by all of our taxes, and council tax, thru the lea of our local councils democratically voted by ourselves,the people,thats the majority unquietdad and others that object to this subject
now if you have a good alternative to this system why not run forlocal government/parliament?
but you must provide a satisfactory alternative to all religeons..
cos if it dosn all you will have done is spent taxpayers money providing the nation with not a better system but an alternative one

ediemay · 28/08/2006 23:20

Just wanted to say that I think this was a great thread topic CD. I am in a similar position to you and the smugness inherent in the system makes me ill.

UnquietDad · 28/08/2006 23:24

Hot under the collar?
Can we put thsi to the vote? I contend that I have dicussed the subject rationally, clearly and even with a bit of humour. The only time I got cross was when my point about my own situation was not understood.

Interesting article

here

on why there are not "Humanist schools".

ediemay · 28/08/2006 23:28

Thanks for that article, UQD. It has made me feel even more positive towards our nearest community school, (even though they do a bit of Maypole dancing), despite it being a bit of a pain in the posterior journey-wise. I went to a Humanist wedding in South Wales last year - it almost cured my wedding phobia

UnquietDad · 28/08/2006 23:29

"The schools are funded by all of our taxes, and council tax, thru the lea of our local councils democratically voted by ourselves,the people,thats the majority unquietdad and others that object to this subject"

Yes, they're funded by the vast majority of people who have no allegiance to, interest in or dedication to any particular religion.

"now if you have a good alternative to this system why not run for local government/parliament?"

Well, I may well do in the future (gulp) but why should I do so now, just to make a point about schools? Isn't it enough just to be an interested, active parent with an opinion?

"but you must provide a satisfactory alternative to all religeons.."

Why must I?

UnquietDad · 28/08/2006 23:29

edie - I went to my first Humanist wedding earlier this year too. Interesting and eye-opening.

cowmad · 28/08/2006 23:30

aahhgoooon now!!!answer the question you standing for government or not..?(also grugingly admit you did have some solid points!)

Judy1234 · 28/08/2006 23:31

I'm a Catholic but I wouldn't consider state schools. Perhaps I should get a refund.....or sell my entitlement.
It's a very interesting issue. If this week this country has abandoned multiculturism then it should probably abolish all schools which don't promote integration of all faiths and aren't secular. Many other countries do this.
In some parts of the country it's fairly easy to get into church state schools but in others, bits of London etc it's much harder so you can't really generalise across the country.
What is unfair is we have lots of C or E and Catholic schools, one or two (I think) Muslim state school, one application for a hindu school in my borough and a reasonable number of Jewish state schools. The coverage doesn't reflect the numbers of the relevant religions in the UK who want a religious school.

UnquietDad · 28/08/2006 23:32

I don't have time right now, bu I am a believer in everyone putting their views to our elected representatives!

cowmad · 28/08/2006 23:32

u posted whilst i was typing
because you must satisfy everyone or well be back in this again with someone dis satisfied!!

cowmad · 28/08/2006 23:34

xenia no you wont sell your entitlement to statee ducation the sane as i wont for sending us to a war i dont belive in

ediemay · 28/08/2006 23:38

You can vote differently next time. In the meantime, use your vote and your voice to say why you might do so.

cowmad · 28/08/2006 23:41

ediemay
they didnt ask for anyones votes thats the point

olivia35 · 28/08/2006 23:44

You might do the cause of state-funded education for god-botherers more good, cowmad, if you looked up the spelling of a few key words. For example, 'religion'.

ediemay · 28/08/2006 23:47

I give up on it all. I'm going to open my own Humanist Trekkie school which bans uniform, maypole dancing, Sports Day and nature tables.

UnquietDad · 28/08/2006 23:47

I don't understand why the onus is on me to provide some radical rethink of the system which is going to please everyone. I don't think that is even possible. Yes, inevitably this will kick off again and again, and inevitably there will be people who are dissatisfied. All I'm trying to propose is that we consider keeping people's faith outside school. That's all. I know some people are going to disagree with it, but I'm petty much argued out...

ediemay · 28/08/2006 23:52

goodnight UQD . Perhaps it's because of your rational approach? May I recommend the Vagisil thread for a spot of light relief? I am now considering a Ministry of Silly Walks school.

cowmad · 28/08/2006 23:59

rude olivia 35 true but rude
think that comment will finish me here tonite(suspects she hears cheering!!)
but i will keep my dignity,say a prayer for you and put my spell checker on!!

olivia35 · 29/08/2006 00:08

That's very kind.

Nice god-botherers, see, you make sarky comments & they respond with offers of prayers...I mean, I don't believe for a second it'll do any good, but it's a sweet thought.

Harnessing that sort of good intentions for state schools WITHOUT the superstitious nonsense - that's where we need to go next.

DominiConnor · 29/08/2006 10:06

Well, actually Star Trek and religion do intersect, and there are churches in the US which use ST as a structure.
ST is very moral, hence stuff like the Prime Directive, and Gene Roddenberry was a major force in popularising what we now call multi-culturalism.

I'm officially a Jedi. Like many techies and Jews, I was horrified that the government was building a census database of religious belief. This list is incredibly useful to dangerous racist gangs.
Some here don't like my view on relgion, and some may mistake my contempt for superstition with a desire to hurt people who have imiginary friends.

Imagine I was such a person.
As it happens, I have had access to various government databases, not open to the general public. A couple had their security setup designed by me.
I'm not actually in a a very exclusive club. There's more people doing "sensitive" IT for the government than in the RAF.
Also, we regularly read of civil servants "surfing" personal records. Dozens are sacked per year, and that's just the ones they catch.

The census database has almost no controls on access, and I'd guess somethingl ike a quarter of a million people have access to it.
The civil service is not keen on the BNP, etc, but of course it is pretty certain there's some very bad individuals there, as in any outfit.

Thus BNP types have access to a list of Moslem, Jewish etc home addresses. You think that's good ?

Tortington · 29/08/2006 12:10

oh for god sake DC. its trek ers not trekies. i counted on you to be the font now, DC i shall stop dreaming about you in leather in the library as you are obviously not all your cracked upt ot be.

DominiConnor · 29/08/2006 12:37

I posess exactly one item of leather clothing. A jacket with a Meteor Crater patch.
I also am clinically paranoid, and delude myself that I have an invisible friend on my shoulder.
Not a pretty sight

I've called myself a Trekkie since somewhere in the 1970s. These new fangled words don't do it for me.

Tortington · 29/08/2006 19:25

dc is that a picture of you? or the manging director of enron?

Tortington · 29/08/2006 19:26

btw i dont believe you about the one item of lea ther

DominiConnor · 29/08/2006 20:33

That was a publicity shot of me that went a bit wrong. Or right, depends on if you've seen the others, most of which were worse.

I really don't have any other leather, unless you count shoes ?

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