Realising that I might be setting the comprehension bar too high for some blog-readers, I am going to put this as simply as possible.
State-funding for religious schools is a scandal.
There are lots of reasons behind this opinion but the main one is divisiveness. There is already too much distrust and suspicion and dehumanising of each other. Culturally mixed schools won’t solve these problems, but culturally separated schools certainly make them very much worse.
The Northern Ireland conflict might not have been dragged out for decades if children from Catholic and Protestant families lived in the same neighbourhoods and went to the same schools. Some might have even seen each other as friends before they found out what religion they were.
Extending state support for religious education to Muslims at a time of so much intercommunal mistrust is potentially socially suicidal.
Teachers in Muslim faith schools are really unlikely to represent the views of the average British Muslim. However, when an Islamic school is set up in a neighbourhood, community pressure will soon compel the average Muslim to support it. After all, people brought up as Catholics often feel obliged to send their children to Catholic schools even when they themselves have no faith.
Obviously, state funding for C of E and Catholic schools should be withdrawn, as it should have been over a century ago.
If people want their kids to be indoctrinated into specific religions, that is their own decision. There is no control over indoctrination in the home, hence little justification for banning religious education altogether. However, let them pay for it. If they are really willing to fork out thousands each year - and/or send their kids to schools with rock-bottom facilities and equipment - why stop them?
However, those people who fake belief to get into a religious school because of its good GCSE results would probably find better uses for their money - paying for better private schools; moving to a district with better schools - they might even - god forbid - start demanding improvements in their local state provision.
Those half-believers who send their kids to religious schools to fit into the values of their community or kin would probably put up a stronger fight if they have to stump up the cost of a private education just to make sure that little Simon learns the Creed as well as the alphabet or that little Ibrahim knows how often to prostrate to Mecca.
The most devout Catholic, Protestant, Muslim or Jew won’t be put off by having to pay a few pounds to save their offspring from the taint of secular education. Which would leave the religious schools as the province of the true believers. Which is tough on the kids, yes, but they already have the cards heavily stacked against them by being born to rabid parents. There’s only so much you can do to save them from that.
Popularity: 28% [?]
Popularity: 28% [?]
