Why do Roman Catholic children get preferential treatment?

Question

For the purpose of education my child is non-denominational. So i would like her in a non-denominational school. She can not have a placement awarded in a primary school on the ground of non-denominationality since i live outside the catchment area. If she was roman catholic however, she would get a placement outside the rc school's catchment area on the ground of her religion. No wonder muslim schools are blooming. If i was one i would send my child to a muslim school rather than her be indoctrinated by a C of E funded school. So why are roman catholics schools allowed to apply positive discrimination (i pressume muslim schools are allowed this privilege too)? And why do community primary schools not have this luxury of choosing to educate the non-denominational children since their status is non-denominational as per statue ... (as opposed to C of E funded)?????
Had to fill in school application forms not long ago, should you wonder where this rant originates ...

And also because someone i know without ethics has tried to enroll their daughter in the local RC school (they bought a house 5 minutes walk from it). This RC school has said their child can not have a place there since both practising and non-practising applicants get placements first even if they live outside the catchmnet area.

Oh, and they're neither ...

Daver: Not that i have the first understanding why they should be part of the Local Education Authority if they are privately funded schools. Private schools in my understanding are open to those that can afford it. The RC school in question is part of a Local Education Authority. If it wasn't I would not even question their right to chose pupils.

Old know: All my local Curch of England schools proudly state that they are "C of E funded". So as for dual funding being the cause of RC schools being more successful, it don't really cut with me.
Most of these local dual-funded C of E schools are bottom of the league tables whilst the state-only funded non-denominational is actually one of the better ones in the whole of town!
Catholics pay no more taxes than do non-denominationls. And what they chose to donate to the church is probably tax deductable anyway!

Isabella: I would have thought that by now it is obvious i am NOT talking of American schools here? We don't have states in the UK, we have counties. And none of the cities or towns pay. It's central government here so Westminster levies taxes that it redistributes.
Any idea what a LEA is? Maybe you should have bothered to actually read the rest of the question before you spout some nonsense that is totally itrrelevant to my question.

Well, she's non denominational. I don't want her indoctrinated by C of E.
Interesting the English seem quit on this question .... shame i'm only getting american gobblygock replies :-(

Oh, and i can keep her out of RE at a C of E school. She can sit in a room with the other children whoms parents refuse for their children to be indoctrinated. Out of the 4 C of E schools i have spoken to only one provides a structured class for those refraining from RE. Well, they put the children in the library ...

Answer 1

I find it hard to believe that here we are in the 21st century and still talking about religion. By the way about 4 opinion polls say a majority of UK people are non religious. I think it is time to ban all religious teaching in schools.

When I was at school they "tried" to tell me something called "God" turned some woman into a pillar of salt. It is desperately important to stop this nonsense now

Answer 2

You need to calm down. for one thing. Rants would do you no justice even if your gripe was a valid one.

Catholic schools are private schools. They are funded by the parish, if they're associated with one, and/or they receive funding by tuition as well as money from the diocese.

The point being, Catholic schools are not funded by our tax dollars, hence their classification as "private". A private educational institution, be it religious or secular, has the right to decide for itself what the prerequisites are for admission of students.

Catholic schools have every right to admit Catholics only if they so choose. It's not discrimination because it's a private institution.

Catholic schools will admit non-Catholic students, if there are any spare seats after having admitted all Catholic student applicants.

Anyone who does not like the policies of private schools have the right to choose other private schools, or public school instead.

A public school, on the other hand, will admit a student so long as the parent(s) or guradian(s) are tax paying citizens.

ADDITION: Isabella is only trying to help you. Giving her an attitude does nothing to advance the solution to your particular problem.

If you are going to give people an attitude, you will inevitably discourage others from contributing their answer. Some of those people might very well have been the ones with answers that could have helped you. But, because of your attitude, they will simply ignore you.

What's that saying? You will catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar.

Answer 3

The purpose of a catholic school is to teach catholic children in a friendly environment. There's not much point in having a catholic school that only caters for children in its zone if none of them are catholic, or where half the catholic children in the area are forced to go to a school where their religion is not recognised.
Be thankful that your child can go to any school and not miss out on her religious culture because she doesn't have one.
Why, if she's non-denominational would you even care about the religion of the school unless you've got some prejudice against catholics?

Answer 4

Wow....not only does the Catholic Church pay for the parochial schools in existence, so do the parishioners and the parents of these children who attend.

I know, as my child went to one. I am Catholic.

There is no funds from city or state.

Also, any child is accepted for education in these schools. And it is a superior education as opposed to public schools.
They continue with former basics of language arts, penmanship, art, music, foreign languages, sports, etc..........all which have been almost eliminated from public schools.

And lastly, I still paid my property taxes which go towards public schools even though I paid tuition for parochial education.

If you want to rant, be a guest on the "View", otherwise seek some knowledge and quit being so ignorant.

Answer 5

Pastor Billy says: you really don't want my opinion which is give back all the Church property stolen during the English Reformation. Your gripe doesn't take into account the injustice of your Protestant nation which isn't even attending church anymore.

I understand there are more Catholics attending weekly Mass in England than all Protestant denominations combine. I think you have a larger problem at hand than complaining about treatment of Catholic school children.

Answer 6

Catholics pay their taxes and they also pay for the building and maintenance of Catholic Schools. Their children get preferential treatment because they have paid for it.

Now if you and your fellow followers of non-denominationalism would like to fork out for a school and save the state the cost of building it and maintaining it, perhaps you'd have something to rant about.

Because Catholic Schools are dual funded, they tend to be successful. That makes them popular and oversubscribed. In some areas, many Catholic children can't get places in Catholic schools because non-churchgoers with an Irish granny live nearer.

Answer 7

If everyone went to the nearest school life would be much simpler, children would be happier and roads clearer, it should not matter what religion one is.
Start your own school & pay for it!

Answer 8

since when has catholic got preferential treatment this new one to me ....as UK person speaking ...my catholic schools are open to all denominations and believe me they have many a mixed faith in them (Scotland ) you enrol your kid end of story .and if you don't want your child to be indoctrinated in your words or Learn the catholic faith enrol in state school ...which all faiths in Scotland are happy to do .so still not a problem for catholics non catholics Muslims Hindu Jew or whit ever ....come to Scotland apparently we country of many cultures and cater for all