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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:
Cappuccino · 23/08/2006 23:09

oh FFS is the concept of choice only Tory now?

what on earth is that about?

Chandra · 23/08/2006 23:10

I'm finding this thread very interesting. The few times I have been to church, it is full with international students and very few families with children. As a catholic I really feel like a part of a minority. Now.. all the local catholic schools have long waiting lists, the good ones are oversubscribed, so... if practicing or non practicing catholics are so very few -at least in my comunity-, whose children are taking those places???

Original poster
CountessDracula · 23/08/2006 23:10

I have no issue with dd having religious education at school

I have no issue with taking her to church myself to give her the experience

I do however object to her being excluded from our local school because I (I, not SHE) am not religious or a hypocrite

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WideWebWitch · 23/08/2006 23:11

But anyone who wants their child to have access to religion, well, there's a church on every corner, take them! I don't see what it's got to do with Geography or English or passing exams or the curriculum, other than learning about lots of religions which can be covered in RE whatever the school.

SherlockLGJ · 23/08/2006 23:11

I am going to retire from this thread before it does a Suzy Wong.

This happens every year at this time, and I just wish I had the sense to ignore it, maybe next year.

soapbox · 23/08/2006 23:11

But LGJ, it isn;t a community is it, it is only part of a community and that is the problem I have with it!

It is divisive and segregates the overall comminity into its constituent parts based on relgion.

You'd be sued to the rafters if you did it in the workplace - but it is good enough for our children! I think not!

southeastastra · 23/08/2006 23:11

we've had a bit of a debate here about the local authority paying for transport to the local faith schools. but round here the roads are all clogged up with coaches bussing children to schools all over the place.

Cappuccino · 23/08/2006 23:11

how are we hogging all the resources?

are everyone else's children on the streets begging for maths lessons?

Original poster
CountessDracula · 23/08/2006 23:11

I don't think party politics is relevant

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

sherlocklgj don't wimp out

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bubble99 · 23/08/2006 23:12

Why should my council taxes pay for a school that my children cannot attend?

If the Catholic church wants Catholic schools (or Jewish or Muslim etc) then those churches should meet all of the costs.

Sounds fair to me.

WideWebWitch · 23/08/2006 23:13

don't ffs me Cappucino, I wasn't rude to you. No, I'm not saying that 'CHOICE' is Tory but I don't accept that the word 'choice' is being equal to 'this is right' - which is fair enough. And you said

"CD if you don't want dd to go to a religious school then, hey presto! you get your wish!

you have a choice. why can't everyone else?"

Well, I'm saying why not, as are many others.

SherlockLGJ · 23/08/2006 23:13

CD my love, I can not type quickly enough to keep up and over and above all that I am tired.

I am on a wine cut back mission, and if I stay and argue I may waver and sin.

Celia2 · 23/08/2006 23:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

iota · 23/08/2006 23:14

I think the point I wan making CD is that if your local schoool were CofE instead of RC, your dd would not be excluded as catchment would come before faith in the admission criteria.

But then you said that you didn't WANT her to go to a church school.

SaintGeorgeMarple · 23/08/2006 23:14

Popcorn, popcorn - get your popcorn here!

WideWebWitch · 23/08/2006 23:15

and I wasn't arguing that party politics were relevant I was saying that 'choice' for me doesn't mean ok. Because no, I don't accept that it's always a good thing. And I was pointing out that Thatcher did use it as a one word reasonable explantion for a lot of things. Which I don't think it ever can be.

Chandra · 23/08/2006 23:16

BTW I believe in the separation of church and state, and that also covers, from my POV, religion in school.

I also said that I was never going to send a son of mine to a religious school but... just looking at the Ofsted results... some Catholic schools are looking so very tempting.

Original poster
CountessDracula · 23/08/2006 23:17

Iota

i want her to go to a local school and I don't want them to ram their religion down her throat

I see no place for religious bias in state funded schools.

LGJ I don't want you to stray so you are excused (after saying your hail marys and giving matron your pink chit )

OP posts:
olivia35 · 23/08/2006 23:17

As it happens, our local primary is 75% Muslim because it reflects the local demographic (slightly skewed for the private C of E effort up the road).

That's fine - dc come from an atheist (me) & buddhist (dh) family. Happy for them to learn about all faiths in context.

However, if the local school was actually affiliated to the local Mosque/church/temple & this was leading to a prescriptive approach to religious teaching, it would rule out that school as far as I'm concerned. Which would annoy me enormously, since if it's state funded it is theoretically a LOCAL school for LOCAL people.

Original poster
CountessDracula · 23/08/2006 23:17

there is a swansea

OP posts:
Cappuccino · 23/08/2006 23:17

I accept that people don't want to send their kids to church school www

so they can choose not to

I want mine to go to one

why is my choice less relevant?

I don't mind paying taxes for schools my child doesn't go to because there are lots of those

and like I said, I appreciate that there are some places in which the system doesn't work, but that's no reason to take the religious element away from my school. it's a very small religious element, but I chose the school for it. I chose my house in order to be close to it. I surely have a right to want to make choices for my children as long as they don't interfere with other parents' choices.

And as my school does not exclude on the grounds of religion, I am not interfering with their choices. So why should my school and my choice get it in the neck?

CountTo10 · 23/08/2006 23:19

Now I am getting confused......this is what i'm getting so far.....

People don't want their kids to go to religious schools - fair enough but there are those that do and both sides should be respected

People don't think schools should be mixed with religion - matter of choice, can't take that away from people for the same reason you shouldn't make children attend religious schools why should it be acceptable in reverse?

Reglious schools should be totally self funded - totally agree but what I'd say is that theres more than exlcusive religious schools that our taxes are wasted on

Noone should be excluded from a school based on religion - totally agree, if we were talking about colour/race this argument wouldn't have lasted this long

Party politics - god how long have you got???!!!!

MarsLady · 23/08/2006 23:20
Original poster
CountessDracula · 23/08/2006 23:20

but only 2% of people go to church
If they restrict church schools to 2% that would be fairer

Also the Church is independently wealthy why can it not fund its own schools?
(for church read whatever religion)

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