Secularism trying to do the right thing

[ippy]

Schools have to be a mix of all as soon as poss:


secularism.org.uk/news/2018/04/18000-children-sent-to-faith-schools-against-parental-preference

ippy

[ProfessorDavey]

Schools have to be a mix of all as soon as poss:


secularism.org.uk/news/2018/04/18000-children-sent-to-faith-schools-against-parental-preference

ippy

This article is about parents who were allocated a faith school having selected a non faith school as their first preference. But it is much worse than that.

One of my daughter's friends failed to be allocated to any of their four preferences, all of which were non faith. They have been allocated a catholic faith school - they are, unsurprisingly, devastated.

And in my are if you don't get any of your choices you are likely to be allocated to one of the three least popular schools in the city - which are the three faith schools.

[ippy]

I know secularising the English schools system isn't a panacea but it would at least be one less problem to deal with.

It'd be so good to see all children mixing wherever they come from or whatever religion parents subscribe to, it has to help make the world a better place.

Regards ippy

[Robbie]

I agree with you that education should be secular; anyone with a particular religion can teach their children at home (I've heard that said by people I know - one Muslime & one Christian).

Having said that there are people who bend over backwards - including stretching the truth - to get their kids into a high performing faith school.I suppose it depends on what area you live in. My husband & two nephews of mine went to a school that was originally a Christian foundation but when they went there, no-one banged on about it. It's still going strong & parents compete for places (my relatives all go scholarships or part scholarships).

Glad my kids had grammar school places (as did I & sister).

[ippy]

I agree with you that education should be secular; anyone with a particular religion can teach their children at home (I've heard that said by people I know - one Muslime & one Christian).

Having said that there are people who bend over backwards - including stretching the truth - to get their kids into a high performing faith school.I suppose it depends on what area you live in. My husband & two nephews of mine went to a school that was originally a Christian foundation but when they went there, no-one banged on about it. It's still going strong & parents compete for places (my relatives all go scholarships or part scholarships).

Glad my kids had grammar school places (as did I & sister).

Nothing unusual about secular religious believers Rob.

Regards ippy

[ProfessorDavey]

Having said that there are people who bend over backwards - including stretching the truth - to get their kids into a high performing faith school.

Why is it that people only seem to talk about parents bending over backwards to get their child into faith schools. There is just as much bending over backwards by parents to get their kids into high performing non faith schools. And as the article points out (and I have been banging on about for years) all the evidence suggests that it is non faith schools, as a category of school, that are more popular not faith schools as is so often implied.

So 33% of school are faith schools, yet these schools get just 29% of the first choice applications for primary schools and just 18% first choice applications at secondary level.

[Robbie]

I don't disagree with you Prof, the academic achievements/pastoral care come first; I've just known people who did cartwheels to get their child into a faith school. Some of the faith schools were quite good too, led to good places in vith form.  Depends where you live.

(For the record, I didn't go to faith school, neither did my kids).

[ProfessorDavey]

I don't disagree with you Prof, the academic achievements/pastoral care come first; I've just known people who did cartwheels to get their child into a faith school. Some of the faith schools were quite good too, led to good places in vith form.  Depends where you live.

Again you seem to be focusing only on those desperate to get their kids into faith schools, and ignoring non faith schools.

Sure there will be differences in different parts of the country, but overall it is pretty clear that it is the non faith schools, as a category of schools, which are the more popular when compared to faith schools.

My area is somewhat extreme, albeit not out of step with the overall view, in that of the 9 secondary schools in my city the 6 most popular are all non faith, the three least popular are all faith (and that includes one with an exceptional academic record, yet is less popular than even the non faith school with the poorest academic reputation).

[Robbie]

No I'm not disagreeing with you Prof, only saying what I have known in past* & it is well past being as my kids are aged 29 & 26.
 
(*None of which influenced me when placing my children in a school.)