ok, this MUST have been discussed before, but... can someone please explain how a state-funded school can select according to the god-fearing-ness (or otherwise) of a child's parents???

[Tutter]

we all pay the taxes that keep em going

so, why should it matter whether a parent visits a building with a spire once a week, and sings songs therein?

our local primary school asks the question "do you go to church? if not, why do you want your children to attend this school?" (paraphrased)

It's always interesting that we start from the assumption that these schools need to exist and people argue the justification from there. They do it from within the cultural context of the faith.

If you look at it from outside, then it starts to seem less "necessary". If I were setting up a school from scratch, and had as one of the selection criteria that pupils' parents should believe in an invisible pink unicorn, accompanied by a book of instructions for doing so, it would be clearer why this seemed odd.

Swedes, the selection criteria at the schools in my area are:

1. children in care
2. children who worship at x church
3. children who worship at abc other church
4. children of other faiths
5. children of no faith.

There is literally nothing about distance (and these are the published criteria btw). And as I've said before, all the schools in my area are church schools.

So my local school system puts my DD bottom of the list of priorities in every single school. doesn't even cover it.

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And just because assorted cults provided education in the past is no reason to leave it up to all of them now. Most if not all faiths are misogynistic and homophobic to some degree. Should they still be allowed state funding if they start discriminating against the children of gay and lesbian parents? Or children who say they are lesbian or gay?
How about if the faith schools start to insist on segregated education and either don't want to provide any for girls or don't provide much more than classes in obedience, cookery and avoiding contraception?
My point is, as always, that while many superstitous people and organisations are pleasant, decent, not too full-on in the crap-peddling and free of the worst excesses of their particular superstitions, by privileging superstition you allow room for the nasty stuff to take hold of a school.

Greyriver, I don't think I explained myself very well. I meant, it's wrong for church schools to discriminate against people who are not active worshippers in that church - they should take local kids as they are funded by all taxpayers. And I'm particularly disgruntled by their attitude that you are only good enough for them if you are a regular worshipper. I would like ds to have the same education as I did, in the same way that a secular Jew may well want their child to have a Jewish education. For cultural reasons. And as a taxpayer, I'm entitled to send my kid to the nearest school that my taxes fund, I think.

I really don't understand why a church school would put 'children of other faiths' above 'children of no faith'. Seems a clear case of discrimination to me. ESPECIALLY if there are no non-church schools. Outrageous. If their argument is they want parents who support the ethos of the school, why on earth is a child of, I dunno, Hindu or Muslim or Zoroastrian parents 'better' than a child of athetists?

agree edam. It's the one area where they collaborate with people whom they fundamentally disagree with.

As someone (Richard Dawkins?) said, all believers are atheists too. They only believe in their god and deny the other ones exist.

I wonder if they demand a letter from the local Imam or equivalent about mosque/temple/synagogue attendance, the same way they demand other parents produce a chit from their vicar/priest?

margo - I thought you lived in the same London LEA as my sister. There are loads of non-faith schools.

And it is bigoted to not want someone else to have something just because you don't want it. It's a bit like complaining that the NHS spends public money on Thalassemia because you are not of Arabic or Mediterranean origin.

why can't you just say why?

I don't like the selection criteria that favours children with behavior problems and disabilities over those that don't, have to get dd to be really naughty to get in to a good school ?!

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If you are an atheist and think religion is nonsense why do you want your child to attend a faith school?

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Is your only choice a religious school?

Private schools tend to have a religious slant too, they might have prayers and wotnot

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they all used to sing hyms and have assemblies, they don't actually indoctrinate them with religion just with Government nonsense these days.

and jamie olivers cooking

rebelmum - in general, people don't. They just want a school. One which does not discriminate. Often, people choose the faith school because it happens to be their local catchment school. Doesn't mean they have actively "chosen a faith school".

you'll probably be lucky if they can read, let alone remember where Jesus was born

Well I'm different I would want a good school that doesn't follow the curriculum to the letter, uses their common-sense, has more interest in developing a child skills than just meeting targets, allows children to play and be children as well as educating them and has smaller class sizes. They can worship the planet zod for all I care if they can deliver that.

Pruners - Faith schools are on average academically more successful than non-faith schools so they would appear to be fulfilling their purpose to educate children.

I pay for my two sons by the way. The state offering didn't suit my needs.