Do we need sectarian schools?

[bodie]

Why should the education of a child go hand in hand with a religious affiliation?   Does school life need a religious angle?   I am not talking about religious education as a subject.  I am talking about faith schools. 

Some children have religion forced on them in the home, that is bad enough.    Governments are further endorsing this by providing schools which teach children to follow a certain religion.

My view is that a school should be a centre of education for children who live nearby.  The subject of religion should be a subject on the curriculum but taught without any bias or religious angle.  There is no need for children to worship in school.   

I live in Birmingham UK and it is a multi cultural society.  I am often baffled to hear that some parents send their child miles and miles across the city in order for them to attend a catholic school,  or a muslim school.   

As adults,  we are encouraged to mix.  Employment is supposedly an equal opportunity undertaking,  so why do children get segregated in school?

Human rights protect people from forced religion,  but it seems children are possessions and do not enjoy the rights as adults do  to chose a particular faith or none at all.

I accept that parents will influence their children according to their own beliefs.  The hours and hours children spend in school mixing with kids from all races and faiths would be a good balance.   

[benjimanbreeg]

Multiculturalism is disastrous.

[renaeden]

Hey! Where have you been? Good to see you.

Sorry for going off topic.

[Semicolon]

Are you opposed to the schools themselves, or to the government paying for them?

[bodie]

Both.

I am thinking now that maybe I sounded too harsh?  I am not saying that i want them all closed down...now!  I do think that new schools shouldn't have a religious affiliation.

I don't think the faith schools are doing a bad job, in terms of education.  I think they could do just as good a job without the religious association,  therefore it seems unnecessary.

[benjimanbreeg]

If they didn't have the religious association, they wouldn't really be faith schools lol, and would suddenly fall into decline.  Some parents lie about being religious to get their kids into faith schools.  Children will actually get some kind of moral structure.  I'm talking about Christianity though, one religion, one language, as much as possible of course.

[bodie]

You can have morals without religion. 

[benjimanbreeg]

You can, but in general, religion is a good guideline for morality.  We wouldn't have the Jeremy Kyle generation if we'd have kept things the way they were.

[bodie]

Oooh no i have to disagree.  As a non religious person i can assure you i have the strictest morals.   

[benjimanbreeg]

I'm not religious either, but am the same    I'm not thinking of myself though, more society as a whole.  Religion gets blamed for everything it seems. 

[Jack]

Religious schools are private schools in the US, so see nothing wrong with it. Does the government fund religious schools in the UK?

[benjimanbreeg]

Only the Islamic ones 

[benjimanbreeg]

https://www.gov.uk/types-of-school/faith-schools

[Jack]

Only the Islamic ones 

Figures.

[Semicolon]

Religious schools are private schools in the US, so see nothing wrong with it. Does the government fund religious schools in the UK?

Private schools are public schools in the UK.