Religious Takeover Of Schools?

[mushroom25]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-26482599

this is being branded "a plot".

but actually, if a school is in an area where a particular religion predominates, and it's what the parents want, why shouldn't the school cater for the communities' religious needs?

[Slapshot]

You want to try Scotland, primarily the south west. The schools and segregated schooling system is responsible for the inherent religious bigotry that's rife there. It splits families and along with the BS called football, Rangers and Celtic; there's more bigotry than anywhere I've ever come across. Religion has no place in education in my view it should be banned. If people fundamentally have to have it then let them pay for it outwith the national education system... If I'd wanted my kids to have a solid knowledge of religion, I'd teach it myself. Schools only increase intolerance in my experience they don't educate a tolerant viewpoint

[pixie373]

Yes, exactly, og.

[naomi24]

The abolition of faith schools, and of religious education in all other schools, would be a positive step.

[naomi24]

Perhaps he thought you were too young to know the truth.

[anotheoldgit]

Interesting to see that this debate has swung to religion per-se, instead of addressing the original news story, that being the Muslim take over of schools, why even the OP's headline shys away from mentioning the word 'Muslim'.

[mushroom25]

zacs, it's not a case of ignoring the "contentious" issue - rather I've been out.

plus, this was aired on the local news, and the issue is not one of religion in state schools per-se, but rather (in this case) the way that the change was carried out. the point of the news item was to highlight the subterfuge involved in targeting the head teachers and other non-sympathetic persons, to replace them with others who would be less likely to oppose change.

none of the parties who have an interest, ie the teaching unions, the local authority, the school governors, the parents or anyone else have any problem with the schools having an Islamic leaning - indeed one of them is already running "Islamic" classes.

[boxtops]

How things have changed. My primary and secondary schools weren't faith schools, but we had a Christian assembly every morning (hymn and a prayer) and anyone who wasn't Christian didn't come in - there were about 12 people out of 600 in those days.... but we had segregated PE and swimming, it was never joint with the boys although both schools were co-ed. The areas of Birmingham where those schools are situated do have predominant ethnic minorities, but these are British State schools, not private - the State sets the curriculum. If you want specialist teaching, you go private.

[emmie]

i echo what others have said, religion should play no part in the school curriculum, and if this has any grain of truth the matters should be dealt with.