Government wants to allow religious schools 100% selection on grounds of religion

I agree Jingle,

What does a free school meal type child look like trueblue? do they wear badges?

I can't see anything wrong with faith schools. Both my GSs went to a faith primary, and it was fine. Very nice school in fact. If parents are religious themselves, why shouldn't they be able to send their children to a religious school?

Fuss over nothing. People will get aerated over anything these days.

I'm Jewish but my son went to a fee paying Catholic school, which was excellent. It was nurturing, tolerant of other religions and I was pleased he mixed with children from other faiths.

I was a state educated Grammar school girl from a deprived background. At least 25% in my school came from the local Estates or were Free School meal type children. If we have schools that specialise in music, sport, drama etc, why not for the more academic? The only reason I sent my kids to fee paying schools in London was because the comprehensive alternative was just not good enough academically.

Yes, we must help ALL children achieve their potential and not be so PC about how we go about it. We need more technical schools as well as academic ones.

Yes, it's an interesting question, Trisher. Oddly enough, though, the Catholic schools in the town where my boys grew up were pretty bad, both primary and secondary. There were far better alternatives. I'm not sure the schools even exist now.

I have a problem with ANY sort of religion in schools.

I agree with faith schools, children at private schools do not mix freely, we have a boys public school here and they have their own scout troup and even those confirmed in the Anglican Church have a seperate service from children from the high school

I think that is one of the reasons SueDonim but not the whole answer. I have worked in Faith schools (mainly Catholic) and there is something about the dedication and involvement of the staff that is very hard to replicate. I'm not saying there aren't dedicated staff in state schools or that every catholic teacher is fantastic just that something seems to lift the atmosphere. And not all faith schools have parental involvement. I once worked in a school where every morning all the staff assembled for a very short prayer before school started. I'm not religious and it was up to me if I joined in or not, but I had to be in the staff room for the daily briefing which preceded it so I usually stayed. Somehow the minute or so asking for strength and guidance for the day ahead made it easier to cope.No idea why and don't know how you would replicate it in a state school, but very interesting.
I don't really approve of faith schools but I completely understand why parents like them.

Locally the involvement of parents in their children's education is the norm amongst all the parents.

My objection to the proposals is that the government is trying to fight extremism and you only do that by children learning and playing together with people from families of all beliefs. That way they cannot label people of a different religion as "other", but as their brother or sister. This plan is divisive and dangerous.

I also think that faith schools are wrong in principle.

Trisher from what I've read about faith schools, it's parental involvement that makes the difference. Those children who attend a religious group of some sort tend to have parents who are active in their community and who then work with the schools.

That ethos somehow needs to be replicated amongst non-religious families, although how you do that, I'm not sure. I'm a veteran of trying to get folks involved in PTA's and so on and it's never easy!

TriciaF is quite right the demand for places is to do with the ethos of these schools. I don't agree with faith schools but my GS goes to one, for the simple reason my DS judged it to be the school that best suited him. Someone should be investigating what makes these schools so successful and trying to recreate the same ethos in state schools.

The numbers attending R C churches have increased too, the majority of migrant workers from Europe are R C . The biggest fall in church attendance is in the Anglican Church

Obieone - re catholic schools-when I was working there was a big demand for places there. because of discipline and work ethos . Not the religion.

We have selection anyway, this is selection for religious schools, we have selection by wealth too

Madness, for all the reasons above^ and, yes, later today I'll sign their petition. Not now cos I'm having me Mornin' tea first things first..
Thanks for bringing this to my attention and providing the link.

Definitely not.

No, indeed. We should be moving away from supporting religious schools, not increasing support.

No, no, no , no, no.

Just no. So many reasons why they shouldn't. Just no.

I don't agree with faith schools at all. I really do not understand why we are so intent on creating divisions and separating out our young people when surely the way forward is to be united.

Eloethan I agree.

As far as I'm concerned there shouldn't be any faith schools, and they certainly shouldn't have charitable status. But to make it possible for them to be 100% selective of their own faith is, I think, asking for trouble.

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I think I disagree with it too.
I am not joining the BHA though.

There is apparently much demand for many more Catholic places.
Which I am a bit surprised at

I do not want to become a member of the Humanist Society but I do very much disagree with this proposal.