Mrz - those articles are referring to non-faith schools so does nothing to prove the religious proselytising in C of E schools is benign. In my local area it is clear from the schools' website that some C of E and catholic schools have proselytising at the forefront of everything they do at that school.
pixieonaleaf "A very recent survey has also concluded that Muslim families are much more likely to allow their children to be educated in Christian faith schools since they trust the education more than they do the education given in secular establishments."
Well, muslim families appear higher up in the priority admissions form than non-faith parents, so they are merely exercising their right to use the school that may have the best results in the area - and the best results come about due to that skewed, prioritising intake! And the muslim families tend to opt their children out of religious worship and assemblies.
mrz "However as someone who teaches in a school in an area designated by the government to be socially and economically deprived using the free school meals measure would mean our children aren't "disadvantage" as most parents don't take up the option." But that would be true of non-faith schools too so it does not alter that there are fewer disadvantaged children in nationwide selective faith schools.
pixieonaleaf "I don't believe that all schools should be faith schools. However, I do believe that in a democratic country, I should be able to choose, without paying for the privilege, for my children to have a Christian education. You are arguing that you want your children to be educated in a secular school, yes? So why should it be that you are allowed to educate your children in the manner you see fit and I shouldn't? Because you are able to opt your children out of acts of worship but if there are no acts of worship, I cannot opt mine in."
But there are many things ALL parents would like to see in state schools that they don't get to opt their child into. I would like my daughter's school to teach philosophy and critical thinking but it doesn't and I don't feel like I have had any rights removed from me. What you term rights are actually preferences. I am interested in what is fair and what is best for ALL children. I couldn't care less about other parents' preferences. There is no right for parents for the tax payer to fund the indocrination of one religion in schools.
Is that what you would like? Because how would that work? What would that look like? The amount, type and placement of all the faith schools in the country does not match up with those who actually have a certain faith. I know of evangelical christians who have no hope of their child using the C of E school in the next village because they do not attend the parish church affiliated with the school. I know of whole towns that do not have a C of E or catholic secondary school even though the town has catholics and christians (not to mention all the other religions that are unrepresented)
My town has all of its faith schools concentrated on one side of town, so christian children have to travel or else, what actually happens, the streets that house the schools have very high house prices as parents strive to live as on top of the school as possible in order to secure a place. The non christians who live in that half of town have little hope of getting into those schools local to them and then they have to travel across town. It doesn't make for a very community spirited town. It's all rather unfair and devisive for a lot of people. I cannot understand how anyone could support that system with a good conscience.
The only FAIR system, for everyone, is secular schools. People of faith do not need to fear secular schools; secular does not mean anti-religious. No-one is going to preach anti-religion to your child. Secular schools are neutral and work very well in other western countries.