Are faith based schools wrong?

Question

If you think they are wrong how could the system possibly be changed? To propose a policy that would eliminate faith based schools would be political suicide. It is hardly a vote winner.

Answer 1

yes children should be bought up around others of a different race to build tolerance between all of the world's faiths. I'm not sure there is a quick fix answer to solving the issue though because the government will be classed as being racist if they suddenly close single faith schools. which is totally wrong but this is how society would look at it.

Answer 2

I've ranted about faith schools and the education system so much in other places, I think I'll just copy some what I've already said.

Faith schools are a corruption of the state schools system. They entrench Christian bigotry, and it's quite worrying that the Labour party has allowed 7000 state-sponsored state schools to exist.

Although many faith schools are state-sponsored, they are allowed to be selective. Faith schools take a disporoportionate number of wealthier kids in their catchment areas, and take very few poorer kids.

Under article 9 European Convention on Human Rights, we all have freedom of religion. I see faith schools as an obstruction of the freedom of religion of the children whose parents send them there. They have one particular religion forced down their throats and learn very little about others, and are often not allowed to express secular ideology.

Anyway, all schools are faith schools in Britain. All state schools must, by law, carry out prayers every day. Thankfully mine didn't. My headteacher didn't like me because I was too rebellious and questioned a lot of things; if she'd tried to force me to pray she would have had to call the fire brigade to unchain me and my friends from the gates!

Answer 3

I don't think they are necessarily wrong and they are, as you imply very popular with parents.
I think they often cause a dilemma.
To give an example, there is a local Christian, Church of England School close to where I live.
It is very popular with the parents. The criteria for entry is attendance and participation in the church. Many parents used to start going to the church so they could get their children into this 'successful' school. The previous vicar, thought that this was a good thing because some of the parents actually became Christians via this route. But the many parents who didn't get in, were often bitter and angry. They saw this as an elitist system from which they were excluded.
As a Christian myself, I do not think this gives a good impression of Christianity to non-Christians. Perhaps, the way forward is not to have church attendance and participation as criteria for entry, as long as they accept that Christian teaching and spirituality will be promoted, and that there will be Christian worship/services.
This in itself would probably not be enough to offer a better solution.
The solution may be that all schools need to be radically changed and become more relevant and 'successful' but this would not be an easy thing to achieve.

I hope this helps:>)

Answer 4

I think they are wrong, in the sense that I would not support them financially or send my kids there.

But I also think drugs are wrong in this sense, but think drugs should be legal.

Same goes for religious schools. People are free to raise their kids as they see fit, within some very broad boundaries of acceptable behavior.

Unless one can argue that sending kids there is some kind of abuse [maybe one can argue that, but it is a bit dodgey], then people should be free to have these schools, even if I am not enthusiastic about it.

Some might say, "But then they should get no public funds." However, given that they are forced to pay into the public funds, why should they not be able to have schools having a philosophy they want?

Answer 5

No. Any school is ultimately based on some faith; actually any human action has a faithful motivation. Educating a new generation must be correctly achieved by transmittng to them the best of what human historical evolution has brought about. If faith lacks from human actions then it will be replaced by madness - look around and you will witness it in full...

Answer 6

They are wrong because it is nothing less than indoctrination. The idea of imposing religion on an innocent child is frankly sickening.

If you were to propose such a policy it ought to be worded as "equally representing all religions."
Since it'd be too costly to build Buddhist schools and Hindu schools and Pagan schools, the only solution would be to close down the existing Christian, Jewish and Muslim schools.

Answer 7

No, not at all, like everything in life, it's all about choices, and if people would like to send their children to faith schools then they have the right, thats why it's America.
Besides aren't there diffrent types of colleges? Such as cooking, music, bussiness. Besides what do you really care? America is the land of opportunity thats why its so great! And we do not as citizens fund these schools. Another point aren't private schools better than public?
Another words its about choices...Nothing to do with policital issues! Itsss a choice.........

Answer 8

I plan on sending my children to a faith school, if they can't get in there then it'll be a private school. This is purely because I am a snob and don't want my children getting bullied or mislead! I think that faith schools are important because they keep the sense of faith in a kid, I went to a state school and I kept the fact that I was a christian a secret because I would have been picked on and I want my children to be proud of having a belief, in whatever they want to believe in.

Answer 9

Yes!

All religion should be removed from schools and the curriculum.

If the kids want to know about it they will ask or research themselves, after all they find out about other topics that interest them easily enough.

I would go as far as making faith based educational institutions illegal.

Most of our current conflicts have religion at the heart of them, and if not religion then tribal or cultural issues.

Answer 10

No, i go to a faith based school and there is nothing wrong with me. Actually, I wish every school could have church services during school that would help everyone in faith.