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Let's get a grip. To me it is no different than a Catholic School accepting non Catholics, which they do, and no special accommodations are made for these students. I would be more interested in whether or not it was a good school, academically. I see no reason why it would be harmful for the student to participate in the religious service. It would just be another learning experience.
If one's own religion doesn't bear scrutiny then its not worth much. Knowledge is power.
Are not rule bound bureaucracies wonderful? Sorry we cannot accommodate you wish to educate your daughter in a school infused with a culture you prefer instead of an imported culture you do not understand or even want to? I had to do that when I was in High School due to a family breakup. It was unnecessarily difficult.
The school sorting bureaucrats lived down to their expectations.
Wow...Imagine if a Muslim was forced to go to a Christian school, there'd be outrage and whatever the U.K equivalent of the NAACP is would be up in arms.
This is so wrong I have no words, I feel horrible for the little girl.
Let's get a grip. To me it is no different than a Catholic School accepting non Catholics, which they do, and no special accommodations are made for these students. I would be more interested in whether or not it was a good school, academically. I see no reason why it would be harmful for the student to participate in the religious service. It would just be another learning experience.
If one's own religion doesn't bear scrutiny then its not worth much. Knowledge is power.
Wouldn't the difference be a state forcing a child to a Catholic school because they didn't want to fund a secular state school, as opposed to Catholic schools accepting the children of non Catholics with the certainty that a percentage will join the Catholic church due to their school years exposure?
In the US, there are many cultures where teens do not "date" either, but we have a choice. This girl will not have that choice. The mother may feel that her child is losing out on a part of childhood that is part of her culture, school dances and the other rituals and nuances involved. The irony is that is part of mainstream life in her own country. In your case, you moved to a Western Society and had to learn its values and customs. That was a choice for you. You didn't have to move.
I concede your point there. But I think the mom is over-reacting.
I concede your point there. But I think the mom is over-reacting.
The mom is not over-reacting at all. I can't imagine being told by the U.S. government that I have to send my kids to a religious school not of my choosing.
I am so happy that we broke away from England in 1776, especially when I read crazy crap like this, and it seems to be getting worse over there.
Oh, for pity's sake, what a storm in a teacup! Though as the article's from the Daily Mail -- "affectionately" known as the "Daily Heil" for being sympathetic to the British Union of Fascists and the Nazi regime during the 1930s -- I'm not that surprised. (Everyone reading knows the Mail is a tabloid, yes?)
A "catchment area" is the UK equivalent of a US school district. Housing prices have gone berserk there in part because of parents moving house to get their children into the catchment area of what they consider a "good" school; as a result, many of the schools are oversubscribed, and there's no guarantee that you're going to get into your first choice (though preference is often given to the sibling of a child already attending). That this family was outside the catchment area means "sorry, we've got more than enough people who do live within our bounds to seat; here's your options".
Religious education is taught in ALL state-funded schools, and was compulsory until the National Curriculum kicked in. The content's determined by the local education authority; there's no national standard. It's meant to be an overview of world faiths, with a marked emphasis on Christianity, particularly the Church of England flavor. Parents/guardians can now write a letter taking their children out of the class, just as they can for sex education.
The result? Depending on the survey, 25-50% of adults in England and Wales have no religious affiliation at all; regular church attendance? 6% of the population, with an average age of 51. And it may well be "awkward" for this girl, but it was pretty awkward for generations of Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, and Buddhist students who got to spend an hour a day hearing about how the C of E was so great, and didn't get to opt out.
Oh, for pity's sake, what a storm in a teacup! Though as the article's from the Daily Mail -- "affectionately" known as the "Daily Heil" for being sympathetic to the British Union of Fascists and the Nazi regime during the 1930s -- I'm not that surprised. (Everyone reading knows the Mail is a tabloid, yes?)
Are you saying the Daily Mail made it up?
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And it may well be "awkward" for this girl, but it was pretty awkward for generations of Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, and Buddhist students who got to spend an hour a day hearing about how the C of E was so great, and didn't get to opt out.
(oops, you left out Roman Catholic)
Are you saying that because children in previous generations were treated badly by the British government, that it's OK for this girl to be treated badly by the British government?
I went to school in the UK. We had a religious morning assembly. The Christian kids went to their one and the Jewish kids had their own (to my knowledge there were no other religions represented). Nobody felt it was weird and nobody felt isolated. I had Christian friends and Jewish friends and still do.
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