INFORMATION

This website uses cookies to store information on your computer. Some of these cookies are essential to make our site work and others help us to improve by giving us some insight into how the site is being used.

For further information, see our Privacy Policy.

Continuing to use this website is acceptance of these cookies.

We are not accepting any new registrations.

Scottish Catholics want to enforce discrimination in schools

For discussions related to education and educational institutions.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
Alan H
Posts: 24067
Joined: July 3rd, 2007, 10:26 pm

Scottish Catholics want to enforce discrimination in schools

#1 Post by Alan H » October 17th, 2014, 10:11 am

Discrimination claims as council keeps school places for CatholicsA LOCAL authority wants to adopt a policy of reserving places at denominational schools for Catholics after a public consultation backed the move.

Of 104 individual respondents to the Falkirk Council consultation, 63 per cent agreed with the plan, with 37 per cent against, and seven out of the 10 groups, including parent teacher councils, agreed with the change.

However, secularists claimed the plan was discriminatory against non-Catholics.

The move comes after rising population rates left denominational schools oversubscribed, meaning pupils who are not ­Catholic will have to use placing requests to get into the schools, even if they live in the catchment area.

Although such schools were originally designed to serve ­Catholic communities they have a diverse population that includes pupils of other faiths as well as those of no religious background.

However, councils still have a legal duty to offer denominational education to Catholic families.

Similar plans have been adopted elsewhere in Scotland.

A council report on the issue said nearly 40 pupils were refused enrolment to Catholic schools last year, resulting in a growing waiting list for places.

The move was criticised by the Scottish Secular Society (SSS,) which said the council is "effectively sanctioning what is a discriminatory statute that results in Catholic parents being able to apply to all schools within catchment areas without disadvantage on religious grounds, while non-Catholic parents cannot".

Spencer Fildes, chairman of the SSS, said: "Falkirk Council should not be seeking to expedite religious discrimination because a child's parents have differing faiths or indeed, no faith. The Scottish Secular Society implore Falkirk Council not to pursue the implementation of these measures."

Formal group responses were received from three parent councils, two in support and one with no objection, one community council gave tacit support and another objected.

The Archdiocese of St Andrew's and Edinburgh wrote in support and the EIS teaching union took a neutral position.

A spokesman for Falkirk ­Council said: "The Secular Society have already written to us and their comments have been included in our Consultation Paper.

"The proposed changes are in keeping with the legislation and would, if agreed, come into effect for the 2015/16 admissions."

Michael McGrath, director of the Scottish Catholic Education Service, said it was a fair proposal where there was no national policy and councils have put such strategies in place in ensure right of access "in rare cases where popular schools are over- subscribed".
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

User avatar
Dave B
Posts: 17809
Joined: May 17th, 2010, 9:15 pm

Re: Scottish Catholics want to enforce discrimination in sch

#2 Post by Dave B » October 17th, 2014, 10:32 am

I suppose not having kids does not help but I always feel a bit ambivalent about this sort of issue.

Firstly if I had kids though I would want the best education for them regardless of source. But I would also be concerned about sending a child of mine to a Catholic school. Here I am making an assumption that the RC education service is more religion oriented than our local CofE school is - it concentrates on discipline and scholarship with a veneer of religion on top, though the daily assembly always includes prayers and hymns. Just as my secular school once did!

What I would like to see (would not we all) is a secular school system with some of the ethos of faith schools but without the dogma. I am sure that such schools exist, but not everywhere. However the parents and their attitudes are a big factor here. My friend's son went to the local faith infant/primary and is still as much of an atheist as his mother - but a considerate, reliable etc. atheist. A friend of his, who went to the same school, is not so nice but both his parents lived on TV soaps, football etc. and had no time for him.

I tend to think they would have turned out similar whatever school they attended.
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

User avatar
Altfish
Posts: 1821
Joined: March 26th, 2012, 8:46 am

Re: Scottish Catholics want to enforce discrimination in sch

#3 Post by Altfish » October 17th, 2014, 10:52 am

If it is state funded, i.e. paid for by mine and your taxes, there should be free access to all schools for all pupils.

It is simple FFS, KEEP RELIGION OUT OF SCHOOLS, teach about religions but don't teach a religion

When will politicians grasp this nettle???? :deadhorse:

User avatar
Dave B
Posts: 17809
Joined: May 17th, 2010, 9:15 pm

Re: Scottish Catholics want to enforce discrimination in sch

#4 Post by Dave B » October 17th, 2014, 11:32 am

Altfish wrote:If it is state funded, i.e. paid for by mine and your taxes, there should be free access to all schools for all pupils.

It is simple FFS, KEEP RELIGION OUT OF SCHOOLS, teach about religions but don't teach a religion

When will politicians grasp this nettle???? :deadhorse:
Oops, forgot to add that those who want exclusive schools should bear the whole cost of those schools. But yes, Altfish, it is wrong to indoctrinate children with anything that separates them for the rest of humanity.
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

Post Reply