Faith schools
- Thread starter Lou
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I've taught in Catholic schools for the last 15 years, the creation story has been outlawed for at least 10 years, good old Noah is also banned. We no longer have any religious statues or crucifixes in classrooms. We aren't allowed to have wings on our angels at the Nativity. Things have moved on a long way since kids being rammed with biblical horror stories!!!!!
RE lessons are based around real life situations, making the right choices and thinking about consequences of our actions etc and might end with a simple prayer. Hardly going to scar a child for life.
The school no longer takes any part in the children taking their first communion, that is down to parents and the parish.With the pressures and constraints of the academic curriculum, there is very little time in the week for anything else so RE is minimal.
The parish priest has no say whatsoever in which children are accepted into our school, and yes we have a long list of kids waiting to get in. There are some kids who are not baptised Catholics or any other faith but are accepted. Part of the funding for Catholic schools comes from the archdiocese to which that school belongs, the funding does not solely come from local authorities.
As for Ofsted and reading reports to get an impression of schols, I recommend treating those with caution. Ofsted is really nothing more than a paper exercise and if you want to get a feel for a school then you need to visit it and make your own mind up.
RE lessons are based around real life situations, making the right choices and thinking about consequences of our actions etc and might end with a simple prayer. Hardly going to scar a child for life.
The school no longer takes any part in the children taking their first communion, that is down to parents and the parish.With the pressures and constraints of the academic curriculum, there is very little time in the week for anything else so RE is minimal.
The parish priest has no say whatsoever in which children are accepted into our school, and yes we have a long list of kids waiting to get in. There are some kids who are not baptised Catholics or any other faith but are accepted. Part of the funding for Catholic schools comes from the archdiocese to which that school belongs, the funding does not solely come from local authorities.
As for Ofsted and reading reports to get an impression of schols, I recommend treating those with caution. Ofsted is really nothing more than a paper exercise and if you want to get a feel for a school then you need to visit it and make your own mind up.
With regards to excluding children from RE classes because of not being christian..surely Religious Education classes are to teach children all about different faiths and there different beliefs..not to force christianity on them.
I wouldnt send Hayden to a catholic or christian school because i do not personally practice those faiths but i want Hayden to make his own decisions with regards to his faith so i would not be adverse to him having RE lessons as he would need to learn about different religions not only so can decide if he feels drawn to any faith but also to understand other people in our diverse and multicultural society.
I wouldnt send Hayden to a catholic or christian school because i do not personally practice those faiths but i want Hayden to make his own decisions with regards to his faith so i would not be adverse to him having RE lessons as he would need to learn about different religions not only so can decide if he feels drawn to any faith but also to understand other people in our diverse and multicultural society.
My Dad's catholic and I was forced to go to catholic schools, the secondary catholic schools in the area weren't the best but I was still made to go there (not only catholic but a convent school! I still don't like nuns and have zero respect for them).
Back then though (I left 20 years ago), the religion wasn't part of the teaching, it was limited to assemblies and the odd holy day of obligation, creationalism was never mentioned (I don't think it was even mentioned in RE lessons as we were only ever taught new testament stuff) but the quality of the education was laughable, we were girls therefore what was the point of teaching or pushing us too much as we'll only be good catholic housewives, crap sex education (that's male STAY AWAY was the limit of it). The one good point was the behaviour in the school, there was zero bullying I never saw a single incident of it, very little absenteism, only knew one girl that got into drugs and only 1 teenage pregnancy in the whole time I was at the school.
That's all changed now and it's a much better school education wise with a secular headmistress but I've heard it now has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the area.
Waffled on so much I almost forgot what I was going to say
anyway, I'd prefer not to send my future children to a faith school as I'm now an aetheist but if the only good school in the area was a faith a school then I would send them there as I believe I would owe it to my kids to give them the best education I could manage to find and I would want to back it up with proper sex education at home and an understanding of evolution, creationism winds me up! (I'd also hope that the faith school WASN'T a convent school! No nun's in my life again! 
) Also my parents did have to pay a fee each term as the school was only 75% funded by the state, it wasn't a huge amount around £200 a term but I think they struggled to find the money sometimes.
Back then though (I left 20 years ago), the religion wasn't part of the teaching, it was limited to assemblies and the odd holy day of obligation, creationalism was never mentioned (I don't think it was even mentioned in RE lessons as we were only ever taught new testament stuff) but the quality of the education was laughable, we were girls therefore what was the point of teaching or pushing us too much as we'll only be good catholic housewives, crap sex education (that's male STAY AWAY was the limit of it). The one good point was the behaviour in the school, there was zero bullying I never saw a single incident of it, very little absenteism, only knew one girl that got into drugs and only 1 teenage pregnancy in the whole time I was at the school.
That's all changed now and it's a much better school education wise with a secular headmistress but I've heard it now has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the area.
Waffled on so much I almost forgot what I was going to say
anyway, I'd prefer not to send my future children to a faith school as I'm now an aetheist but if the only good school in the area was a faith a school then I would send them there as I believe I would owe it to my kids to give them the best education I could manage to find and I would want to back it up with proper sex education at home and an understanding of evolution, creationism winds me up! (I'd also hope that the faith school WASN'T a convent school! No nun's in my life again! ) Also my parents did have to pay a fee each term as the school was only 75% funded by the state, it wasn't a huge amount around £200 a term but I think they struggled to find the money sometimes.Jen & Her Men
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I agree with Squig and Jenni32.
My little bro is currently at my old high school which is a state school and secular. We did have RE lessons but we were taught about all religions...
Anyway, he has ADHD and is essentially being forced not to take certain GCSEs which the school knows he will fail. They are trying to dress it up by saying that its because he wouldnt be able to cope, when the reality is that if he fails them it brings their A-C percentage down in the core subjects which could bring them down from the top of the league tables...
Its all a crock of sh*t imho. Of course there are schools out there that are better than others...but you find that out through visiting the schools rather than relying on reports that are often not accurate. they tell you what the % results are A - C grade but they dont tell you how many kids dont actually take the tests in the first place or are asked to leave the school because they arent bright enough. Which happens in A LOT of faith schools and schools that appear at the top of league tables.
To me, I want my children to get a rounded education which means extra curricular activities, excursions, and being part of a mixed and diverse community. But on the whole, I think that school is what the child makes of it. I went to school at a time when the other high school in my area was number 1, my cousin went to that one. He came out with no GCSEs, I got 10 and 4 A levels. If your child is bright and wants to learn they will do that wherever they go. Thats not to say that you shouldn't care which school they are sent to but I think the emphasis should be on encouraging your child to learn and teaching them that whatever school they go to and whatever faiths they encounter, they should be open minded and be taught to make their own choices and decisions.
My little bro is currently at my old high school which is a state school and secular. We did have RE lessons but we were taught about all religions...
Anyway, he has ADHD and is essentially being forced not to take certain GCSEs which the school knows he will fail. They are trying to dress it up by saying that its because he wouldnt be able to cope, when the reality is that if he fails them it brings their A-C percentage down in the core subjects which could bring them down from the top of the league tables...
Its all a crock of sh*t imho. Of course there are schools out there that are better than others...but you find that out through visiting the schools rather than relying on reports that are often not accurate. they tell you what the % results are A - C grade but they dont tell you how many kids dont actually take the tests in the first place or are asked to leave the school because they arent bright enough. Which happens in A LOT of faith schools and schools that appear at the top of league tables.
To me, I want my children to get a rounded education which means extra curricular activities, excursions, and being part of a mixed and diverse community. But on the whole, I think that school is what the child makes of it. I went to school at a time when the other high school in my area was number 1, my cousin went to that one. He came out with no GCSEs, I got 10 and 4 A levels. If your child is bright and wants to learn they will do that wherever they go. Thats not to say that you shouldn't care which school they are sent to but I think the emphasis should be on encouraging your child to learn and teaching them that whatever school they go to and whatever faiths they encounter, they should be open minded and be taught to make their own choices and decisions.
i will send my child to the best possible school available, be it faith or no.
yes, its perfectly possible to be clever and to do well in a less-successful school, just as its possible to be less intelligent and not to do so well in the greatest school. but IMHO there is a great sense of pride to be gained from going to a high achieving school that encourages the pupils there, as a whole, to work hard and do well.
i have no problem with faith schools because, as jenni32 said, they are part-funded by the local diocese of whatever religion the school happens to be affiliated to.
perhaps, in the interest of fairness, no school should have any religious affiliation - but then who would be happy (esp. childless people) at paying extra taxes to cover the shortfall in education funding?
my own beliefs are complex - i'd like to be an atheist but haven't quite got there yet
i don't believe that religion should be crammed down children's throats and i think that they should be able to make their own choices as they grow up. but its quite possible (and i'm a case in point) to go to a religious school and not to be affected in any way adversely by the beliefs held within. IMHO my upbringing had a far greater influence over my beliefs and ethics today, and i hope that connor will have the same freedom to learn, discuss and theorise on religion as i did with my parents.
yes, its perfectly possible to be clever and to do well in a less-successful school, just as its possible to be less intelligent and not to do so well in the greatest school. but IMHO there is a great sense of pride to be gained from going to a high achieving school that encourages the pupils there, as a whole, to work hard and do well.
i have no problem with faith schools because, as jenni32 said, they are part-funded by the local diocese of whatever religion the school happens to be affiliated to.
perhaps, in the interest of fairness, no school should have any religious affiliation - but then who would be happy (esp. childless people) at paying extra taxes to cover the shortfall in education funding?
my own beliefs are complex - i'd like to be an atheist but haven't quite got there yet
i don't believe that religion should be crammed down children's throats and i think that they should be able to make their own choices as they grow up. but its quite possible (and i'm a case in point) to go to a religious school and not to be affected in any way adversely by the beliefs held within. IMHO my upbringing had a far greater influence over my beliefs and ethics today, and i hope that connor will have the same freedom to learn, discuss and theorise on religion as i did with my parents.Jen & Her Men
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purple13 said:
Thats what i was trying to say but you put it sooo much better than me! lol
I have to agree with you (again lol)Squiglet said:
When my eldest first started school, the best High school in the area was Catholic! The second best primary school was Catholic!
My other choice was the better primary school (Cof E) and the worse high school anywhere in the whole of Manchester! (well maybe not but still not a good high school)
I choice the good primary and the better high school so had to christen my children Catholic to do so! Now people who have faith may think me bad but I do not believe in any religion! But I had to do what was best for my children's education! So now my children are catholic and attend catholic school and will go to a catholic high school! I struggle with the fact that they have to listen to things I have no belief in but they have the right to choose themselves and I don't think that attending a faith school will change that fact! My DD believes in god and is quite holy really! That's fine! That's her choice and she is 6! When she is 16 she may see things how I see them and not believe in a god! That's again her choice! But as she will be better educated through the better schools then that is far more important to me! My sons are already seeing that somethings don't quite add up with what they are taught in Mass etc!
Well its been interesting reading everyones replies so thanks girls. I really wanted to know how you guys felt about it. It hasn't changed how I feel about it so I'm just going to do what I think is right and fair. Hopefully the school I have choosen for Isaac will suit him and provide him with everything he needs but I will be using my opportunity to choose 3/4 schools and whether or not I decide to pick the local faith school as an option I'll have to decide nearer the time.....
Thanks again
Thanks again