Schools turning away atheists?!

[meandollie]

Oh my god! Just been having a look at possible primary schools for my son to go to - are there any primary schools that you don't have to be a church goer to get into?!

Just crazy imo. Why does my child's quality of education depend on whether or not he's religious? These kids are 3-11 for god's sake, why can't they be educated to a level that they can make the decision for themselves when they're old enough?

So now my son is going to have to go to a school of poorer quality because I've chosen to let him make his own decisions of whether to beleive in God or not. Does anyone else find this really upsetting?

Who says church schools are of a higher quality?....you are not compromising anything education-wise by not sending him to a church school.

The attainment tables of the schools in my area. I didn't mean generally secular schools are worse - just here.

attainment tables don't always mean a better school

'tis true. But it's not really the point I'm getting at.
My problem lies with religion being a deciding factor on the school, regardless of which one actually suits the child.

Faith schools are allowed to set their own admission criteria. They can't refuse to admit non churchgoers but they can give them lower priority. Some faith schools reserve some places for non-churchgoers - check the admissions criteria for the individual schools.

Part of the capital costs of the school are met by the church which also owns the land and buildings. I understand your frustration but, given their contribution to the school, it seems reasonable that the church should be able to give priority to churchgoers.

Faith schools make me cross.

Our nearest secondary is catholic and therefore our children will be unable to go there. They will have to walk three miles to the next nearest school.

Meanwhile, catholic children from other towns, miles away, are bussed in to it.

Doesn't help us save the planet, does it?

Don't worry too much about league tables; all they do is reflect the intake.

My dds are at a low down league table school but it has many advantages; the school cannot rest on its laurels like schools with a middle class intake and the teachers love to have a chance with bright, motivated children. (it doesn't get that many!)

Message withdrawn

But they are probably so good because they are church schools. You cant have it both ways.

@Builde "Faith schools make me cross.

Our nearest secondary is catholic and therefore our children will be unable to go there. They will have to walk three miles to the next nearest school.

Meanwhile, catholic children from other towns, miles away, are bussed in to it."

We're in exactly the same position. It makes me completely furious. It's just selection by the back door, too, as the Catholic children tend to come from well motivated families who have got their arses in gear and got their children baptised nice and quickly and are organised enough to attend Mass every Sunday. It's nonsense, discriminatory nonsense. I don't mind faiths having their own schools, but I DO mind my taxes paying for them and excluding my children, even though it's my closest secondary.

It's really naughty to give less priority to non-church goers but it doesn't surprise me.
The national curriculum says that all schools are supposed to teach creationism and evolution and give both the same amount of attention............but they don't.
The C of E school my children go to (and it makes me at how religious they are)are very pro-religion. Don't think church attendance is high in their criteria though which is good. However, the way they teach creationism like it's the truth and the more correct than evolution makes me cross.
DD made me laugh when she says she changed hymn words so she doesn't have to say God.

I know that sounds funny but I meant that they're overtly pro-religion when in fact the NC says that teaching should remain impartial and the same weighting should be given to both creationism and evolution.

Agree with MintHumbug.

Set a selection bar which involves inconveniencing parents (professing faith or simply parting with wodges of cash) & you automatically select for committed parents with high expectations.

It makes me terribly cross. I object to the existence of state-funded faith schools per se, tbh, but I find it particularly galling when success is claimed for them which is entirely a natural result of selection by parent.

'the NC says that teaching should remain impartial and the same weighting should be given to both creationism and evolution.'

You had me really worried for a minute there!

But no...creationism emphatically not part of NC

Schools differ massively in how they apply this, though, MintHumbug. I've taught in a state secondary for 10 years & have yet to attend an act of collective worship.

I completely agree, meandollie. In my borough, four of the five secondary schools are Catholic. Therefore CAtholic parents get way more choice than the rest of us. Similar problem at primary level - lots of good faith schools, packed with the children of middle class parents who know how to get their kids in. I find it really objectionable that the faith schools in our area are knowingly propping up a system of social apartheid in our tax-funded schools. Now, if they would express their faith through selecting the children who really need a good education, I'd be more sympathetic.

why did i have you really worried raven?

I hadn't read the same DCSF doc as that before but I did definitely read something saying they should be taught equally and neither should be favoured more than the other.
Thinkthat doc is slightly incorect as it says that evolution isn't proven. Yes it is.

I also read (in teaching articles) that schools shouldn't put a view upon creationism - that's what I meant about DCs school - it does imply that God is real without question. That's plain wrong and it's not letting children decide for themselves.

DS1 who is in reception at a CofE aided school* told me this morning that the big bang caused the creation of the universe, but before that, God was there. His school definitely teaches him God is real and that the bible stories are true. But if they tried telling a class full of five year olds that there were no dinosaurs I expect they'd cause a revolution.

*v heavy indeed on the religion although not usually oversubscribed so you don't have to be churchgoer to get in if you're within a reasonable distance. They take the whole school to the Wednesday morning service at the church.

a church school is essentially one alowed to select kids from wealthier families, as regular churchgoers are, on average, wealthier.

i think it is iniquitous that any institution that receives state funding to do its job should be allowd to discriminate in this way.

i suspect that CofE schools tend to be good as they tend to be the older more established schools in the area....