Religious schools discriminating against atheists

[MNersanonymous]

Dh and I are just having a discussion about this. The best state schools in our area are all religious and we, as atheists, feel discriminated against.

Could we take action against our local council under the religious discrimination legislation?!

Just curious really.

'treat your neighbour as yourself, don't steal, don't lie, don't kill, respect parents etc.'
I'm an atheist, I believe in these values.

I fear the values that make Church schools where I live get better SAT scores are more like:

Do homework
Do homework
Do homework

And if you have been brought up sitting through hour long services you are less likely to have the attention span of a gnat in assembly or lessons (her words again)

Well, if it's just about homework then surely any school can do it.

LOL Choccy at homework -
I agree, plenty of Atheists will have these value too

Oblomov, no you were not offensive, just think you have missed the point.

OP was talking of areas where all the nearby schools are faith schools. So the only one honest atheists stand a chance of getting is the "worst" school that no-one at all wants to go to.

no choccypig you are very wrong!

it's not homework!

I personally (to use accepted mn style) believe it to be a different sense of purpose, it's what goes on inside school hours.

Why is it the worst school? Anyone have any idea?

CLam: well I don't want my DS to attend a faith school, and will try very hard to make sure he doesn;t have to go to one. Jackstini, the values you state (kindness, fairness, good manners etc) are not dependent on believing any particular brand of mythology to be fact, and it's no good suggesting that religion is always a Good Thing when so much intolerance and cruelty is a major and active feature of many religious groups' lives and behaviours. Remember Holy Cross Primary in Scotland? Wow, that made such a good case for faith schools...

I just don't think you can pick and choose like that. If you want a faith school for your child because it's a good school in all areas,(for many of the reasons Jackstini's friend suggests) then it's a bit rich to turn around once you're in and say "religion is b*cks, and I want my child excused from RE and assemblies."

But as a non believer, even thought he religious schools were very good ( I am assuming OFSTED etc) she wouldn't want her child to go there, really right ?
What she really wants is the other non religious schools to be better. Which is a reasonable request.

Well obviously because atheists aren't as clever and hardworking as believers....

Good night everyone. You know I don't mean it.

Have you lived in your home for some time. Have you known that the local schools were bad, for a long time ?

I can't speak for the OP, but it's not as simple as 'make the non-faith schools better'. The fact is that faith schools are paid for through our taxes. Then they discriminate against children who aren't signed up for their special club. And breach the admissions code so they can cream off the middle-class kids.

If you take public money, you can't turn round and say 'oh, our facilities are exclusive, you lot aren't special enough to come in'. Many hospitals were originally religious foundations but you don't catch St Bart's turning people away saying 'sorry, don't like the cut of your jib'.

clam, what if we want to send our child to our local school, the one closest to us in the place where we live, where all our friends go and where we work and where our family is and where our support networks are?

I have lived here for ten years but only recently become aware of the schools issue because my dd is only 16 mo.

The point is, if I had a faith, I would have a reasonable chance at any of the schools. As I don't, I have access to only one which is a faith school but a terrible one.

My other option is to go to church and I am seriously considering it although I resent it hugely. It doesn't make me a hypocrite. It makes me a bloody pissed off taxpayer.

Madamez - where did I ever suggest that 'religion is always a Good Thing'?
Firstly it was not my personal opinion, but I thought that the thoughts of a teacher could be of interest on the subject. Secondly she didn't say always, in fact she purposefully excluded fanatics.
I also said in my next post I believe plenty of others have these values too

Catholic schools don't cream off the middle classes. 100,000 polish imigrant children attend catholic schools and they are all from low income families.

Jackstini: sorry I tend to use 'you' in a general sense, wasn;t actually having a pop at you Jackstini the poster.

Will let you off then

Harpsichord.. tell me about it! That happened to us. And we therefore swallowed it as "that's life, get over it." No, it's not fair, but (Oh God, I'm turning into my mother!) whoever said life was fair?

Margo it's not so bad. You might like it!

But be very careful your hard work may not pay off unless all the family goes and the children attend Sunday school. Am not being sarcastic. Sometimes they check. Well often they check.

nametaken, are you sure about those stats? Only that would mean that one in every 6.5 or 7 children in British schools was Polish...

Sorry!!!!!!!! should read approximatel 10,000 not 100,000.

Well, I don't think 10,000 Poles necessarily make an institution non-discriminatory. Catholic schools educate how many people? And what's their social mix compared to the neighbourhood around each school?

Catholic schools often have quite a diverse intake. Certainly more likely to be racially mixed that the regular comprehensive with good results.