Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Education

Join the discussion on our Education forum.

Original poster

What is so bad about faith schools?

208 replies

Jalexandra · 12/09/2006 20:26

After reading the 'anti sitting on a fence' thread, I was surprised by how many people had chosen faith schools as a subject they feel strongly about and was just wondering why.
I can't think of any good reason to be against them so maybe you can enlighten me.

OP posts:
beatty · 12/09/2006 23:38

I am reading this with interest and am unfortunalty sitting on the fence on this one but - are those of you who are anti faith schools saying then that you would prefer there not to be any volutary aided Jewish, catholic, muslim Church of England etc schools at all? Also therefore would you ban headscarves being worn in state schools and those who have prayer time during the day being banned also if they were to attend a non-religious school?
Are we talking about a TOTAL zero tolerance on ANYTHING to do with religion at all in schools?

As I said I am on the fence on this one but am intrigued as to peoples diverse opinions.

harpsichordcarrier · 12/09/2006 23:38

oh bugger
you see I was just about to go to bed
and then I come on here and the first convo is this one and the most recent post is by Pruni....

Pruni tell me to go to bed pls?
can the OP reallybe serious??they can think of no good reason to be against them??

Pruni · 12/09/2006 23:39

Message withdrawn

Pruni · 12/09/2006 23:39

Message withdrawn

Pruni · 12/09/2006 23:40

Message withdrawn

Pruni · 12/09/2006 23:43

Message withdrawn

harpsichordcarrier · 12/09/2006 23:44

religious discrimination is a Bad Thing
it only leads to Trouble
telling people they cannot use a public service because of their religion is unjust and just plain wrong
in all other respects I refer to the previous marvellous posts of GDG, CD and Pruni (esp Pruni's marvellous pithiness)

SherlockLGJ · 12/09/2006 23:44

Well........ and this is my very last word on the subject.

On the way home from school last term DS told me all about the four pillars of Islam, he has a Muslim child in his class and her mother came in and told them in a manner that reception children could understand.

They have calendars up in every room with ALL religous festivals marked on it.

They have always embraced all major festivals, Diwali, Chinese New Year etc.

Now either his school is not the norm, or people have become so obsessed and blinkered with hitting on the soft Faith targets that they have no real clue what goes on in Faith schools but persist in trotting out the same old rubbish year after year.

I am now going to bed.

Pruni · 12/09/2006 23:49

Message withdrawn

beatty · 12/09/2006 23:50

that's my point Pruni. If you ban all reference to religion outright there will be those people who believe that due to their religion they should be given time out to do prayers or that it is their faith that dictates a certain dress code etc.
An outright ban would almost certainly lead to court cases of racial discrimination etc and would never stand up I don't think.

However, I was educated in a faith school (not saying which faith! ) and we learnt about all other religions as part of our religious education. this as far as I know goes on now in some state schools a certain element of RE but touching on all faiths.

Would a total ban preven tthose non-religious children who may be looking for something else in their lives prevent them from making choices about religion that they may want to adopt OR as mentioned before should this be done in the home too? (with homework and everything else they are going to be be busy bees aren't they?)

kiskidee · 12/09/2006 23:50

i don't care a toss if the church or state is together or apart. if it was apart, i would send my kid to a religious school and pay.

religious schools ime attempt to develop the whole person. emotionally as well as academically and physically. it is not about what the teach or don't teach in RE lessons either. it is to do with how staff speak to kids whether they are being disciplined or not. when they are in lesson time or not. it is about how the majority of parents who are faith minded regard the staff and what their job is.

i have previously taught at 3 non denominational schools and did not find this quality in any of them. i currently teach in a faith school and know which senior managers, staff, kids, and parents i prefer. oh, the kids there do not just come from middle class, leafy suburbs. we are in an excoalmining/shipbuilding city drawing kids from the whole city and a nearby county.

Before people get defensive, i can only speak of my opinion. i am fully aware that i could have been lucky enough to find an equally good state school - just haven't.

Judy1234 · 12/09/2006 23:51

I would expect all my children to know about the Islam even in Catholic schools I would expect it. It's part of common entrance exams at 13 even or the syllabus anyway.

Pruni · 12/09/2006 23:55

Message withdrawn

Pruni · 12/09/2006 23:57

Message withdrawn

Pruni · 12/09/2006 23:58

Message withdrawn

beatty · 12/09/2006 23:58

I respect your view.

Pruni · 12/09/2006 23:59

Message withdrawn

kiskidee · 12/09/2006 23:59

'all my children to know about the Islam even in Catholic schools '

i get annoyed when i see lines like "even in Catholic schools" why catholic always get repeated whenever these qualifications come up? makes me wonder about the latent prejudices that so many posters have of Catholicism. I have been to CofE services and could hardly bloody well tell one apart from the other!

holidaysoon · 13/09/2006 00:00

I don't get the "paying for something I can't use " view. We do that the whole time for lots of things. There must be something else, some other reason, are people saying that faith schools would be OK if they had poor results? Round here you need to be able to buy (or rent) a house for close to 1,000,000 pounds to go to a good school. Is that any fairer?

Pruni · 13/09/2006 00:01

Message withdrawn

helsi · 13/09/2006 00:01

looks like I am on my own in this arguement - I am going to slink off to the hole I came from and change my name for good - would hate to be bible bashed from now until eternity!!

Pruni · 13/09/2006 00:02

Message withdrawn

Pruni · 13/09/2006 00:03

Message withdrawn

kiskidee · 13/09/2006 00:04

great points holidaysoon. i think that yes it would be ok round here if faith schools got rubbish scores.

these are the same faith schools that traditionally got started up in rough deprived areas when the church had the time and money to do that sort of thing. now they go to africa etc to do that. victims of their success by and large.

Alibaldi · 13/09/2006 01:23

I would love to ask a question of all of you who debated on here. When you were at school did you have assembly ever morning with prayers and hymns etc etc. Used to say the Lord's Prayer everyday in my school and no it wasn't a faith school just a normal Middle School. Religion was a part of education in the 70's certainly in Warwickshire. And until we become a republic as guess we should technically be considered a Protestant Country as the Queen is the head of both the Church of England and the Country. I learnt about many religions at school Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and gained some insight into different cultures as a result of that. Before I get shot down in flames. I am just curious as to others's school days and what part religion played if any so this is a sort of hijack for sure and apologies for that.

Swipe left for the next trending thread