Admission policy for faith schools
If you want your child to go to a good school, whore yourself to religion! How is it possible in 2010 that education is still mixed up with religion? Primary school children have been allocated places on how often their parents attend church no matter how close they are to the school. Parents are being forces to go to church and adopt beliefs (or pretend to adopt) to get a state education for their children! You absolutely will not have a chance to get a place in a good church school if you don't!
A child who lived for example meters from a Church of England school in the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and attended the church affiliated with the school, was not offered a place at the highly sought after school, but a child who lives in the borough of Wandsworth was offered a place, of which there are only 14 after siblings had been offered places (fair enough). How is this possible? Shouldn't parents know exactly what the admission policy or entrance criteria is? Or is this admittance of an inside illegal system?
When the school was questioned on their admission policy, the parent was told not to break ties with the church at this time in case a place came up in the future, and that the school would ask the vicar which child to pick if a place did come up! The school would not however go on record go to officially admit this was the admission policy. Does this mean it is not legal then? Are parents not allowed to know the exact (or real) entrance criteria? Is there an official entrance criteria but an unofficial admission policy in fact based on how god fearing you are?
Parents with the best links to the church or liked best by the vicar would be given an available place. Priority is given to the very best most liked church goer, over location. How is this possible in state education? The children who live very locally to the school have been offered places an hour away in the North of the borough in under achieving schools. This is really bad for local community ties. Of course there simply aren't enough places to go round, but admitting a system is based on favouritism I assume cannot become public knowledge.
There is no place for faith schools in state funded education. Fee paying schools can be whatever faith they want - you're paying for it, but religion has no place in the state system. If this system was proposed in parliament in current times, a bill would never be passed to allow it, 'believe this, adopt this religion and you shall receive a good education for your child'! it's completely illogical. And, you can't blame parents for opting for faith school, they are better as the church put money into them.
Is this fair? Is this Legal?
By: Natty
Comments from visitors
+3
Click to rate 
Report
+1
Click to rate Report
-3
Click to rate Report
It is a hypocritical sytem that forces parents to make these choices. As far as I am concerned, if a school is funded by a single penny of taxpayers money, then it should accept people of any faith. After all the schools are not fussy about the faiths of of the people that have been taxed to pay for it.
Until religion and education are separated 100%, as I believe they should be, and all schools are non faith schools, it is not a fair playing field for athiests. I do not feel one bit bad about "cheating" the system.
+2
Click to rate Report
-2
Click to rate Report
+1
Click to rate Report
Gainsborough lad. - 5-Jul-10 23:36
We have no local non demonational schools in our area so I've had to send my child to a CoE school, which I think is totally unfair! Either create faith schools for each religion and for atheists or make non at all!
Regardless of the faith, you get the good, the bad and the ugly at all schools!!
0
Click to rate Report
We complain enough about those people on this site!
So what, life isn’t fair, but that’s human nature, so let’s not bother to try and make it a bit fairer and offer the same opportunities to every child?
As for the argument that everybody is different, that pretty much a moot point: yes, everybody is different, even given the same chances. How is denying someone educational opportunities going to change that?
At least parents with lesser financial means can hope their children won’t be in the same situation. I can’t believe anybody would be OK that “better” education should be reserved to the few who were randomly lucky to be born to affluent parents.
It has nothing to do with not teaching your kids that you have to work hard! That’s something that every parents, regardless of their situation, should teach their children. These are life values that parents should be responsible for.
Timelord: You make a very good point.
As much as I disagree with religion having any part in the school system, I can’t really disagree with the fact that, financially speaking, a sponsor would have some say in their business.
I guess what needs to be addressed is the funding of State schools. …Stating the obvious, I know!
I already donate to the local school, but it’s just too isolated to have any real impact. But if there was a non-religious community-based organisation offering regular funding to a school in my area, in the same way as some churches do, I, for one, would be happy to contribute so that children have a better chance (though I don’t have children myself). Maybe that’s a solution?
-7
Click to rate Report
Life is unfair. Some kids have it better than others. Some have better start in life, others have to fight for what they achieve, whilst other inherit and do nothing. That's tough; that's life. So if parents can afford or manage to get their kids into the better, selective schools, whether they are faith schools or not, then good luck to them. I certainly would do the same if I had kids. The last thing I'd want is to be indoctrinated into a pantomime set of values that suggests that no kids is better than another, it's not worth trying hard, it's not worth succeeding because, ultimately, everyone is the same and this should be reflected in the quality of eductation and the choice of schools available.
They're not equal. Some have talent, some have no hope in hell of making it in life. Live with it and don't try to presume that it's 'fair' for some no hoper should sit next to a bright talented hard working pupil - all in the name of equality and fairness. The only one being short changed is the one that can provide most for society in later life. And that certainly isn't the 'no hoper' unless he or she manages to pull themselves up by the bootstraps by hard work and initiative. Good luck if they do - but not at the expense of the better placed. That's a very hollow victory for society and it's a very hollow victory for an individual.
-5
Click to rate Report
-4
Click to rate Report
-1
Click to rate Report
Kenny Brunton - 2-Jul-10 00:37
Of course there are always two sides to a coin,the other side is;
If you DO believe in a God and there isn't one - Your OK.
If you DON'T believe in a God and there IS one -You're on your way to HELL.
-1
Click to rate Report
-5
Click to rate Report
You see Religion (any religion) is all about control, I suppose that Vicar would also see which of the child's parents gave the most money at Sunday service in order to influence his decision? Not an out of this world fantasy if you think about it is it. It doesn't matter if its a Church a Mosque or a Country Club the Psychology behind it is exactly the same.
On a schools note the only place, I think, you can really go to now is a secular private school if you really want a "peaceful" education because at least they can kick naughty kids out (if any) no questions asked.
-2
Click to rate Report
What makes these schools (usually) good is that the kids come from 'nice' families with concerned parents: concerned enough to be religious themselves (and want a similar ethos in their kids' education) or concerned enough to 'convert'. Either way you get a 'better class' of intake.
So lets put a stop to it!! Every school should have its 'fair share' of psycho-bullies etc in the interests of fairness.
I stopped working in the state sector when I became ashamed of the way decent young people could be abused by social -worker sponsored bullies or neglected in favour of levering the idle to GCSE grade C (or whatever loony target of the month). Additional help for special but bright kids (eg Oxbridge candidates) was BANNED.
Better that EVERY child goes to a poor school; it will after all be fair !? So hunt down the good schools, label them and destroy them. Stalinist are alive and well...bless
-1
Click to rate Report
-2
Click to rate Report
+3
Click to rate Report
