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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:
SherlockLGJ · 23/08/2006 22:27

Here is an idea.

Let's close all faith schools.

Lets start with the Muslim ones.

Then lets close the Mosques.

If you are brave enough.

Then close all the C of E and Catholic schools.

I Pay taxes, my DH pays taxes, we are entitled to have our child educated in our faith.

Our child's school takes children of all faiths, granted there is an intake criteria, but no one is automatically excluded from the process.

Indeed one of DS's best "girl" friends is a Muslim child.

Will stop now.

As I feel a huge rant coming on.

jamiesam · 23/08/2006 22:28

Eek, I read 'I was brought up a catholic, I am not religious and...' - when I say I was brought up a catholic it means more than that I was in church once at the age of 4 months. Sorry if my maths still don't add up, no offence intended.

My point was to put the other side of the case, where there is a 'great' choice poor schools, but also there are a few decent religious schools. Though as it happens, if those schools were state, I'd have had more of a problem getting ds in as we'd have been out of catchment...

For me, getting ds to the closest school wasn't the most important thing. Getting him the education I aspired to was - that means a little more travelling (still walking distance) for us, but that's OK.

Original poster
CountessDracula · 23/08/2006 22:28

why start with the muslim ones?
I hope you are not being racist

OP posts:
Thomcat · 23/08/2006 22:29

Love that there is madness going on in the middle of a very serious grown up thread, and it's CD involved in both!

ohhh and look at me on a grown up thread, discussing religion and education!!!

Even if i'm not actually really getting involved and am being silly now, I'm still here, playing with the grown ups!

I might quite like to go to bed soon though.
Do you need me to stick around and help contribute though??

Cappuccino · 23/08/2006 22:30

oh god sherlock thank goodness you're here

I was getting far too cross to express myself as eloquently as you did

Northerner · 23/08/2006 22:30

See, always contentious these threads. If you have 2 other local schools that are good then I don't see the problem tbh.

Celia2 · 23/08/2006 22:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Thomcat · 23/08/2006 22:31

Oh no, as I typed it was getting all really quite serious.
whoops. will stop being silly now, sorry

SherlockLGJ · 23/08/2006 22:31

Absolutely not being racist.

But I find that the Muslim schools have an even deeper ethos and respect for Fatih, and if and when you have finished fighting that good fight you still have the energy for a fight with middle of the road schools, I will be in awe of you.

Cappuccino · 23/08/2006 22:31

you start with the muslim ones because we're a Christian country and we still have a national church

the Queen is the head of it

should we shoot her?

iota · 23/08/2006 22:31

have just been checking the admission criteria for
out local area - for the RC schools religion is the no.1 requirement

However for the local CofE VA schools, religion is at no.4 or 5, after any child living in the catchment area. So basically if you're in catchment, you're in (unless it's oversubscribed of course)

Cappuccino · 23/08/2006 22:33

yes Sherlock's right

as I said, Anglican's don't give a bugger

we'd just draw up outside with our popcorn

soapbox · 23/08/2006 22:34

!!!!!

Why on earth would we close the mosques (or islamic schools first) no one is suggesting that places of worship for any faith be closed down!

I beleive that state education should be secular. You can add the worship stuff on in any way you like on top of that.

If you want the whole church school thing, then you can pay for it yourself. Why should I?

CountTo10 · 23/08/2006 22:34

It is a good call Sherlock - especially as some of the moslem schools are totally govt funded - thats not being racist, thats a fact!!!

I do agree with you CD that schoold should be open to all but I think it is very difficult when its natural that a school of a particular denomination would open its doors to like minded people first. All religious schools should be funded by their own boards of trustees etc/parents but then you're going to make a huge portion of our primary schools private virtually and where does that leave us??

On a slightly different note is is true that they've stopped kids from singing childrens hymn in non religious schools???

WideWebWitch · 23/08/2006 22:34

Cd, have only read first few posts but I agree with you. And Aloha always used to be very eloquent and cross on this subject. I think religion and education should be separate.

Northerner · 23/08/2006 22:35

But doesn't it depend on if the school is voluntary aided or not? Ours is and they control their own admission procedure and don't work on catchment area.

It's all very confusing. But if you're not religious, and don't want your child to go to religious school I don't see the problem. I know CD says it her local school, but it's always going to be local to someone, unless we build religious villages

Thomcat · 23/08/2006 22:35

Can't have state funded all boys schools either then.

Cappuccino · 23/08/2006 22:35

I am paying for it myself

you don't think Christians get tax relief do you?

it's been said before by Sherlock - I've paid my taxes and I have a right to have my children educated in my faith

there's no law saying you have to go to a church school. there are plenty of others

CountTo10 · 23/08/2006 22:36

Thomcat - you're last posting made me roar and nearly snort me tea up my nose!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CountTo10 · 23/08/2006 22:36

that's the one re being silly at a serious time btw!!!

Thomcat · 23/08/2006 22:37

Or all girls schools.

Lots of schools being closed down.

hmmmmm, hope you don't mind the local non same sex, no eligios schools being flooded with all the extra intakes.

iota · 23/08/2006 22:37

Northerner I posted the difference between VA and VC at 10.17

Northerner · 23/08/2006 22:38

Haven't read all thread. Just skimming.

soapbox · 23/08/2006 22:39

TC - don't like the notion of single sex either - most of those started from church schools with people worried that their daughters might be corrupted if they mixed with boys

The state funded schools wouldn't be closed down, they would just be turned into schools that were unable to select on grounds of religion or sex. Anyone who wanted anything different could go and set up their own school and pay for it privately!

Thomcat · 23/08/2006 22:40

so they'll be loads of private schools and loads of oversubscribed local schools and no same sex or religios schools.

Hmmm