Just watched a Richard Dawkins documentary about faith schools in the UK. It's clear how Dawkins feels about faith schools and he doesn't mind letting you know through the duration, but he presents the issue quite fairly.
Anyway it sort of confirmed what I already thought about faith schools. I feel it's shameful how we feel it's ok to segregate kids along the lines of religion from such an early age which I feel is harmful to the cohesiveness of a diverse society. Also I feel school should be where kids go to open their minds and ask question rather than be indoctrinated and patronised.
There's an argument for parents choice over the education of their children but which I don't feel is legitimate. If you want your kid to learn religion send them to church or do it yourself, don't send them to a school which presents evolution as an alternative theory and in the meanwhile ostracise them from wider society and limit their ability to think critically about the world.
Who else thinks faith schools are a problem? And why the fuck would government fund religious schools? _________________ Shut up mate you're boring!
I went to a Christian school from elementary to high school. I can honestly say that it had little affect ony life at all. The only difference I noticed was that I had to take religion classes. And those were easy do fuck-all work kinda classes.
Perhaps they should just teach absolute truths in school (Maths and Science). Or list religion under "the arts" in schools.
On the subject though, during my first few weeks at primary school a group of "people" came to my class and gave every child pie, then they offered everyone who came to "Sunday school" more pie. I was only five at the time and I'm not even sure I knew what church was, let alone Sunday school. So I went home and told my parents I wanted to go to Sunday school, they asked why and when I told them the laughed for quite sometime and then took me to a service. We left in about ten minutes and I told them I never wanted to go there again. (There was no pie.)
I wouldn't worry about faith being taught in schools, it's no different than Santa Claus or Greek Mythology. It would only become a concern if there was a breach of the separation of church and State. Besides offering kids multiple theories to challenging questions is likely to encourage truth seeking and critical thinking, not make them shy away from it. It all really comes down to how everything is presented, although finding teachers with no bias on these subjects might be somewhat difficult.
I believe it is very important to teach kids on religion in school, and no, I don't necessarily mean to teach them how it's superstitious nonsense. Some will come to that conclusion on their own. Some won't. We are really doing kids a disservice if we use schools to tell our kids lies though, one of the most popular in this country being that evolution and intelligent design are of equal stature. That sort of thing is in no way better than making them believe there are 72 virgins waiting in heaven if you die for your faith. People have proven well that they are not ready for deciding what their kids should be taught. Sad but true.
Because of separation of church and state in America, which I believe strongly in, schools can include a history of religion or survey of world religions class at the high school level, but they can't proselytize to promote one religion in the public schools. That's how it should it always be. As long as there are churches, people can go to, the public schools don't need to promote religion. There's already institutions for that. Private schools are another matter. They can do whatever they want because people are paying to send their kids there.
I think it's the fact that these schools are state funded that winds me up most. I mean why should the government fund schools that are there to segregate kids and discriminate on grounds of religion?
Yeah sort of Pam, only there was this muslim school they went to and they basically said they were reluctantly teaching the national curriculum in science but only with a disclaimer before each contradicting topic reminding the kids that muslims don't actually believe in it. When questioned, the entire class said they didn't believe in evolution, I mean if your science teacher doesn't then why would you?
I totally agree Bork, no kid should be told that religion is a load of bollocks, they should be able to make up their own minds. They should be encouraged to be inquisitive and ask questions about the world around them rather than take stuff for granted.
That sounds quite harmless Necharsian and many of the CofE schools in the UK would have a similarly insignificant religious presence, but perhaps not some of the jewish, muslim and catholic schools. Also do you not see a problem with all the jewish kids in one area going to a school full of jewish kids whilst all the muslim kids from the same area go to a school full of muslim kids and having very little, if any, contact with one another? I just can't see how that's a good thing. _________________ Shut up mate you're boring!
Most of the points I were gonna make have already been stated, so I guess I'll just settle with faith school anecdotes.
I went to a Catholic school during high school and they gave me a social worker and a psychiatrist because I was both an atheist and *cough* enjoyed the company of the same sex more than some. Also because I was doing a fuck-ton of drugs and just being a general bastard, but mostly the first two things. It was an environment which discouraged free thought and individuality, and stifled creativity. As artsy fag who wrote poetry and made pretty pictures, this caused serious conflict with me.
It didn't help that I was once given detention for being pro-choice.
Though, all-in-all, high school was a pretty enjoyable experience. _________________ A dick that's bigger than the sun.
Most of the points I were gonna make have already been stated, so I guess I'll just settle with faith school anecdotes.
I went to a Catholic school during high school and they gave me a social worker and a psychiatrist because I was both an atheist and *cough* enjoyed the company of the same sex more than some. Also because I was doing a fuck-ton of drugs and just being a general bastard, but mostly the first two things. It was an environment which discouraged free thought and individuality, and stifled creativity. As artsy fag who wrote poetry and made pretty pictures, this caused serious conflict with me.
It didn't help that I was once given detention for being pro-choice.
Though, all-in-all, high school was a pretty enjoyable experience.
Funny - your experience couldn't be more different from mine - I went to a Catholic school, and they taught us about other religions, contraception, and how homosexuality isn't a choice or a problem. There were always a few nutbar teachers, but mostly the teachers were open-minded. It was a handful of fundamentalist kids (and their parents! ) sprinkled into a mass of moderate, ambivalent, or non-religious students. I've always told my friends who went elsewhere that Catholic Schools are like public schools with one extra easy 'option' class and Christmas. Guess I was lucky, going to a more liberal school, or the Catholic boards are different in Alberta.
Any teacher who counsels a kid that homosexuality is wrong should lose their job. I'm sorry that you went through that.
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) sprinkled into a mass of moderate, ambivalent, or non-religious students. I've always told my friends who went elsewhere that Catholic Schools are like public schools with one extra easy 'option' class and Christmas. Guess I was lucky, going to a more liberal school, or the Catholic boards are different in Alberta.
