independent.co.uk wrote:Faith schools applying for 'free' status are one of Michael Gove's biggest headaches. In part two of his series, Richard Garner wonders how these institutions square with the Government's plans for multiculturalism

Interesting article, worth a read.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/educa ... 1219.html#

Does God belong in the classroom?

Not for a second. Kids are in school to learn - or even better, to learn how to learn - not to have their minds shut down by religion.

I'll never understand why schools are affiliated with religions in this day and age.

Does God belong in the classroom?

Depends on the marks He got in His midterms.

The programme is intended to overcome the situation whereby there are a million Hindus in the UK but only 30 Hindu primary school places a year for them

Well so what?

Why is this a situation that needs overcoming?

I hope the 50 per cent rule is applied so that the school has to have a one to one match, namely that it will have to refuse places to hindu children until there are enough pupils of other faiths to fill places.

They can go to non Hindu schools. Ta da.

I read this today in the newspaper. (Proper one, on paper and everything, just like in the old days)

Good old Indy, fighting the good secular fight.

This is not secularism. Its moral relativism at its worst. These schools should not exist at all. At the very least they should not be government funded. They should never be allowed to do creationist shit or fuck around with science like that.

Domestically, the explosion in 'faith' schools under the Blair Government will surely prove to be the most damaging aspect of it's legacy. What an utterly stupid, ill-thought out, scandalous policy that was. The agenda of secularisation that the Liberal Democrats set out in their last manifesto is the way to go I think.

The Plc wrote:Domestically, the explosion in 'faith' schools under the Blair Government will surely prove to be the most damaging aspect of it's legacy. What an utterly stupid, ill-thought out, scandalous policy that was. The agenda of secularisation that the Liberal Democrats set out in their last manifesto is the way to go I think.

I'm not sure it was "an explosion" but I agree with your sentiment. Blair pushed that agenda because it matches his own and he's left the gate open for increasing divisions between children when he could have done so much to bring them together.

It seems they are tightening up the rules about setting up a free school:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12860477

The Plc wrote:The agenda of secularisation that the Liberal Democrats set out in their last manifesto is the way to go I think.

Wot dat den?

My memory failed me. The Liberal Democrats didn't put an explicit secular programme down in their last manifesto, but the former Lib Dem MP once wrote an article called 'Secularist Manifesto' for the Guardian, which I think is thoroughly sound.

http://www.google.ie/m/url?client=safar ... kPKKb4gtqg

Ihavenofingerprints wrote:I'll never understand why schools are affiliated with religions in this day and age.

The schools are essentially in it for the money, at least so far as the UK is concerned. Any religious funding they get is over and above what the government commits to a school. Since there's no agency I'm aware of that preferentially funds non-religious schools, I'm surprised that there are any of them at all.

As for the religions, well, they've known for a long time that young minds are more malleable and the earlier they can start with the indoctrination the better.

Re: Does God belong in the classroom?

Considering he doesn't know how many legs are on things that crawleth, I should think so.

HughMcB wrote:Re: Does God belong in the classroom?

Considering he doesn't know how many legs are on things that crawleth, I should think so.

I don't know, what with the speaking in tongues bit he could probably do well in some disciplines.

Headmaster: "This is Mr God, he teaches foreign languages"
Parent: "Which ones?"
Headmaster: "All of them, at the same time, in one term."