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Original poster

Cant get DC into a faith school

581 replies

angelfireabbey · 26/10/2014 14:46

I know this is possibly the wrong place because it seems the whole of MN is atheist or totally secular. However, there is a lot of discussion by MNers here about getting intofaith schools ( often without any faith because they are good schools).

I am a little bit fed up with it. I take my faith seriously. I take my DC to church and we believe. I wanted my DC to have a faith education. There are only two faith schools where I live. They are oversubscribed by parents who seem to have suddenly aquired a need to attend church to get a vicars signiture.

I had my pastors signiture but we didnt get a place. So instead my DC is stuck in a state school where the teachers and other children laugh and say that they have " imaginary friends" ( or simply they are nutters!) and that they believe in fairly stories etc. Sound familiar MN parents? ( I bet you wouldnt say it if someone were of say Jewish or Muslim faith though would you?). It is offensive you know.

They have an atheist teacher who clearly knows next to nothing about Christianity.

I would settle for any faith school although there are no others ( of any faith ) within 40 miles of us.

So how do I get into one? I have asked my church community. I know they are doing their best and we are praying hard but I am sure some savvy non religious types must know more here. So I am asking.
I see thread on thread where parents are scamming the system.So how does a genuine person get in?

Thanks.

OP posts:
Hakluyt · 26/10/2014 16:38

"They have an atheist teacher who clearly knows next to nothing about Christianity."

Say some more about this- I am very interested. I am also very interested in the circumstances in which the teachers and other pupils mocked your child's faith. How did it come up? Who told your son he had an "imaginary friend?"

RabbitOfNegativeEuphoria · 26/10/2014 16:40

There are plenty of places with no faith secondary schools, let alone 'only 2'.

minifingers · 26/10/2014 16:40

It's upsetting not to be able to get your child into their and your school of choice - many Christian and non-Christian parents experience this.

If it's any comfort, your children don't need to be surrounded by those of the same faith in order to keep their faith - they have your support and the support of their church.

The children of non-believers who end up at faith schools because their parents worked the system - those children have just as much spiritual need of a Christian education as your children surely? If not more as they have no true faith input from home.

It won't do your children any harm to have their faith questioned by other children - if it is real it'll survive, and maybe be strengthened by a bit of testing.

skylark2 · 26/10/2014 16:41

"The teacher said so."

Rubbish. It does not work like that.

Enjoy your little fantasy.

KatharineClifton · 26/10/2014 16:44

My children went to a faith school attached to the church we attended. By the time of confirmation classes they had both decided they were atheist and refused to go to classes after the first one. With very logical arguments to back this up. Be careful what you wish for angelfireabbey Grin

Icimoi · 26/10/2014 16:44

I bet you wouldnt say it if someone were of say Jewish or Muslim faith though would you?

I think most atheists are perfectly happy to argue their corner with those of the Jewish and Muslim faiths as well as Christians. This idea you have that people of those faiths in some way receive unfair privileges is really quite offensive.

Original poster
angelfireabbey · 26/10/2014 16:45

"Where did I say that? "

"there are no others ( of any faith ) within 40 miles of us."

There you go - your own words. It is so difficult to keep your story straight when you're making it up, isn't it?

Actually, from an LA view that is probably true although I had not recalled saying it. Within my LA there are two faith schools. The neighbouring county doesnt have any at all at secondary level ( state schools that is). Going the other way into the other neighbouring county, the nearest state faith school there is at least 40 miles away. However, I couldnt get my Dc into that school because we do not live in the county.

So, yes, I was right.

All the other schools are just community schools with no faith affiliation at all.

It may seem strange to you but not everywhere has faith schools coming out of every street.

OP posts:
Original poster
angelfireabbey · 26/10/2014 16:48

This idea you have that people of those faiths in some way receive unfair privileges is really quite offensive

They did not receieve privledge on the grounds of faith and I never said they did. They have brought a racism case against the school and its being taken very seriously ( as it should). But their grounds were the same as mine. Disrespect to their beliefs by the teacher.

OP posts:
Hakluyt · 26/10/2014 16:51

"Of course if I were an atheist complaining about a faith school feeding my Dc with all sorts of stuff and being stuck with it because there was no other school for them, would you see it the same way"

I frequently do complain about this very thing, and am, practically without exception, told to build a bridge and get over myself.

Hakluyt · 26/10/2014 16:54

"Disrespect to their beliefs by the teacher."

What did the teacher actually say and what were the circumstances?

Original poster
angelfireabbey · 26/10/2014 16:55

Who told your son he had an "imaginary friend?"

I did not state the gender of my child. The teacher told my daughter that God did not exist her opinion and that Jesus was an imaginary friend to Christians . Of course as a Christian I do believe Jesus is a very real person in my life and that is part of Christian faith. Of course, equally Jesus is not a physical person but it is his spirit that dwells with us. But for me and my DH and my DC that is not imaginary at all.

To say differently is to show no understanding of the faith.

Hence it was specific to Christianity too.

OP posts:
pointyfangs · 26/10/2014 16:55

It sounds as if your DC's current school is handling just about everything as badly as is humanly possible... If this teacher is openly and actively racist, that needs to be tackled of course, but it is perfectly possible to be religious and racist.

If this teacher was one of the 'dismissing everything as Sky Fairies' brigade then she deserves to be taken to task for her attitude to everyone of faith, including you. I say this as one of life's stone atheists, by the way - but one who would never dream of speaking in derogatory terms about another person's faith. If I want people to respect my atheist beliefs, the least I can do is respect the beliefs of others, though I do not share them. It is rude and unprofessional to express such views in class.

However, I reiterate that it is perfectly possible for an atheist to be a very good RE teacher.

pointyfangs · 26/10/2014 16:57

Sorry, cross post...

Your DD's teacher was wrong to phrase herself in this way. She was entitled to say that she did not believe in God, however it was not for her to push her beliefs on anyone else in class. In her own way, it sounds as if she was just as bad as DD1's RE teacher in the past two years.

Spartak · 26/10/2014 16:58

You're still coming across as hostile and unpleasant. Maybe having God and Jesus to forgive you makes that ok for you, but for many people it doesn't.

Has your child been expressing his/her views at school in the same manner as you have on here? How are the other children and teachers even aware of their beliefs?

Hakluyt · 26/10/2014 16:59

So the teacher gave her opinion. Not uncommon in a secondary school RE lesson. My ds is in year 9 and has always known the religious affiliations or otherwise of his RE teachers.

What is your issue?

Pipbin · 26/10/2014 17:00

They have an atheist teacher who clearly knows next to nothing about Christianity.

I work in a C of E school and I am an atheist. My friend works in a catholic school and she is an atheist too.

They have an atheist teacher who clearly knows next to nothing about Christianity.
What is she was a muslim teacher who knew next to nothing about christianity.

I take very seriously your comment that the teacher mocked your child about having an imaginary friend. If that did happen then you should see the head. Making comments about a child's faith is not acceptable.

However, you have a very way of asking people for help by running them down and criticising them first. If you think all us atheist are so dreadful then can you not ask on a Christian forum?

Original poster
angelfireabbey · 26/10/2014 17:02

wrt the other people, they took exception at being told God didnt exist. But there was also a big to do debate over ISIS and also the israli/ Hamas thing in class and it caused a lot of bad feeling toward Dc of any faith at all. The argument being it was better not to believe in God because it just caused lots of wars and deaths etc. and this was a result of religion. By comparison to that I suppose, in context, my complaint is piddling.

OP posts:
Hakluyt · 26/10/2014 17:02

I don't think the teacher did mock, did she? She gave her opinion. As I said, not uncommon in secondary school RE lessons.

Original poster
angelfireabbey · 26/10/2014 17:04

There isnt a faith forum on MN pipbin. Not even a hint of one about spiritual things.

OP posts:
pointyfangs · 26/10/2014 17:08

The argument about the connection between religion and war is a perfectly valid one to have... The Middle East as a whole is testament to that in present times, and if you look back, you'll see the same kind of persecution happening in centuries past. Faith can be a powerful force for good, but since flawed human beings are involved, it can also be the same for evil.

Mocking anyone for their faith - much less a child - is never acceptable. That means your complaint is not piddling and the school is failing by not addressing it.

pointyfangs · 26/10/2014 17:10

here is the MN forum on religion, by the way

Original poster
angelfireabbey · 26/10/2014 17:12

Has your child been expressing his/her views at school in the same manner as you have on here? How are the other children and teachers even aware of their beliefs?

Thats not fair. My DD is actually not saying anything at all in school and has been this way since we moved to this school six weeks ago, so it is unlikely she said anything. She has always been a shy quiet girl. Being laughed at by other children because the teacher said she had an imaginary friend is unlikely to help . Of course, she wears a cross round her neck - that could be one giveaway. It is known we go to Church, that has to be another giveaway doesnt it?

But that is wildly unfair.

OP posts:
Original poster
angelfireabbey · 26/10/2014 17:13

Oh, thank you pointy fangs. I wasnt aware it existed.

OP posts:
PrettyPictures92 · 26/10/2014 17:13

I'm really curious what sort of places folk live to need signatures to get their DC into a faith school? I'm Catholic, my dc have never been baptised/christened and neither have I but I was brought up Catholic. I don't regularly attend church, my social anxiety prevents me from going. But my two are in a Catholic school, they attend church with the school (well DD does, ds is still in nursery and it's a non denotational one). We didn't need a signature from our local Father to get a place in the school. But tbf, there's a non denominational school right next to the Catholic one my two go to and it's reports are just as good as the one my two go to.

NancyJones · 26/10/2014 17:16

Well as a practising Catholic with Catholic children I would do anything rather than send them to a faith school. Faith and religious practice belongs at home and in Church. Not in school. The sooner we abandon the concept of faith schools in this country the better. No good comes from segregation on the basis of faith.