Atheists if you had to choose between your children going to a faith based school, or no school at all?

Question

Last night someone asked "How can we abolish segrative faith based schools in the UK"

I was already aware that about 7000 schools fall into this category, 2-5 million Students at any one time(conservative estimate).

Many people though the abolishment of 7000 schools across the country would be a good idea.

So would you really have your childs education entirely your responsibility or have them in a faith based school that teaches a mandatory Secular curriculum?

Answer 1

Honestly, I plan on homeschooling my kids anyway. Private schools are too expensive, faith-based schools are too "religiousy" :), and public schools don't have much of an allowance for children's different learning capacities and varying interest in different subjects. But if it looked like my children could do better in a private faith-based school, I wouldn't mind sending them there, but I would strongly emphasize the fact that religion is about personal choice and that the particular religion they would be learning about is just what SOME people believe and isn't necessarily right.

If they were to ask me what I believed, I would of course tell them that my own conclusion is that there is no god or deity whatsoever and that life is only what we make of it. Of course, the possibility of me ever sending my children to a faith-based school is ridiculously far-fetched.

The sad thing, though, about religiously-based schools is that there is no gray area. It's all "This religion is right and everything else is wrong." That's not a learning experience I would want for my children.

Answer 2

Personally I'd have just disqualified the faith schools at the start and not even bothered to look at them, makes things so much easier. If you send a child to a faith school they will be preached at and if they end up doubting the faith may suffer consequences if they go public about it so that would be a very strong negative (while at a secular school one can be any religion or no religion without the consequences, or at least with a lot less trouble). A faith based pre-school or daycare probably isn't so much a problem since it won't be for long and it's unlikely that much will be remembered from then. School is where the big issues arise and finding a good government funded secular school is probably the best way to go there.

Answer 3

In America most secularists believe that the schools are supported by the christian agenda anyway so there is no separation...where the faith based establishments believe that the schools are too secular and don't allow for any personal freedoms or religious expression. I think its somewhere in the middle and depends in what part of the country you live in. This is public school though...many faith based organizations have set up their own schools and now there are charter and alternative schools and alot of people are in fact turning to home schooling or professional tutoring if one could afford it. I am not an atheist but a Bible believing Christian and I still believe in the separation of church and state and that only secular curricula should be taught in school...even evolution because it has impacted society so much..still I agree that it must be taught as a theory since there has been no factual evidence to support this theory as fact. I don't agree that creationism should be taught in school...I can do that at home with my own children..but I do believe that more attention to the detailed systems and structures of DNA, the simple cell, complex biological systems and animal behavior and envioronment should be addressed. I can also handle that at home along with added facts about geography, geology and meterology that my kids won't get at school. So...Love in Christ, ~J~

Answer 4

I would rather see the faith based schools die out on their own than have the government mandate it.

But I would tell you that if I were an admissions person to a university or an employer, and I was looking at anything having to do with science, I would avoid a student from one.

And if I were unable to find a secular school for my daughter, I would move to a country where I could. They would be taking the lead in the near future anyhow.

Answer 5

Neither, if there was no proper schools I'd move, or leave the country. You can NOT, bring up a child in the UK, and have them seperated from all other faiths and non faiths, and have them taught rubbish.

In any normal world, faith schools would have been abolished decades ago. The only reason they haven't is political.

Answer 6

If only given those two options I would choose to have my children attend a faith based school as opposed to home schooling them.

One reason for this is because I think children need to be able to socialize with other children their age instead of being isolated in the home. Children need friends and need to learn how to interact with their peers for when they enter into the working world.

Another reason is because while I think I am intelligent, I have not been properly trained on how to give an education to another person or child. Teachers have much more resources available to them that enable them to effectively educate children.

Answer 7

Depends on the school curriculum. I know plenty of faith-based schools where religious rhetoric is minimized, and the schools are actually very diverse, foster scientific inquiry, and kids of other faith attend with no issues. I know others where the staff spend a significant portion of time criticizing thinking outside of their comfort level, even to the child's humiliation and detriment.

Probably home school, though. I'm American, and can't imagine my country degenerating to the state where it would be constitutional to force religion down every kid's throat in public school. I would be fighting every inch of the way.

Answer 8

My children go to a C of E school, but learn about other religions too because it is a part of the curriculum that applies to all schools in England. As such there is no point in removing so called 'religious' schools as long as they are within the guidelines

I am not C of E. I would abolish moslem schools though as they teach alliegence other than to the state

Answer 9

What you might not be aware of is many Christians remove their children from "faith based" schools for the same reason.

Teachers not teaching the "mandatory secular curriculum" but their own beliefs and opinions.

I am a Christian and would welcome with open arms any school that did not teach religion at all.

Answer 10

Tough question. I attended a "faith" based school for my last 2 years (USA) and have mixed feelings on it. It had some really good academics and values, but often the material was very slanted towards a particular viewpoint.

If my children were to attend one, I would have to be much, much more involved with understanding the content of their lessons.