Faith Schools: Good or Bad?
Current Affairs September 11th, 2007“They offer not a programme of indoctrination, but the possibility of developing a greater level of community cohesion through the understanding of how faith shapes common life.” Dr Rowan Williams
“Separating children on the basis of religion cannot possibly encourage social cohesion. Academic research confirms that the best time to break down racial and religious barriers is in primary school.” Keith Porteous Wood, executive director of the National Secular Society
“Faith schools take very seriously their historic mission to reach out to support children from lower income or disadvantaged backgrounds” Schools Secretary Ed Balls
“We question whether faith schools, particularly those where staff and children are chosen on a faith basis, provide an environment for ‘interaction between different faiths and communities” Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers
September 12th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
To the 2nd comment I would ask, can a secular school truly break down religious barriers?
I ask this because in Islam a great deal of import is placed in communal teaching at the Mosque. Similarly certain protestant Christian groups have/had Sunday school.
In the U.S. where the Church and State have been seperated for many years and where the public school system is avowedly secular the ‘enrolment’ in Sundya school or after-school faith groups is particularly high. This would suggest that Parents/Family/Children want or are willing to participate in a religious education programme.
Are not such ‘private’ church schools outside of the remit of the ordinary and mainstream educational system not more likely to be engaged in indoctrination?
To the 4th comment about interaction between different faiths in faith-selective schools. I would agree that selection based solely on faith is wrong, it is also (as far as I am aware) relatively uncommon and the ‘real’ practise in many places is to select intake either by:
a) common agreement in the faith ethos, or
b) quota systems, x% to the ‘stated’ faith and y% to the rest.
In general I am against any selection in schools. But I am acutely aware that some form of preferential selection must at times (due to available places) be undertaken. How should such preference be expressed?
Faith.
Locality.
Wealth.
Parents employment.
Academic achievement.
Ethnic background.
Language.
I am of the opinion that selection on the basis of Faith adherence is marginally less unfair than many of the other listed criteria.
To select on locality is to select on a postcode lottery, which in turn is often an expression of the wealth of the parents and their ability to afford to live in a desireable location… Locality and wealth are unfair, as is selection on the basis of parental employment.
Selection on academic ability is the huge bugbear of the present day and age. My opinion (working within education) is that academic ability fluctuates, a promising student aged 11 may by the age of 16 be less academically disciplined and inclined.
Less relevent to schooling, but a further illustration of my point is the increasing figures for mature enrolment in every level of adult education. Many mature students along with time and finances enter into their studies due to a renewed motivation to learn.
To select on ethnic background would appear to be racist and unfair. But to select on language would not (if sufficient facilities existed for multilingual educational options).
Final point in favour of Faith schools is that in a national system of education that includes funding, inspection of standards and independent arbitration, a faith school can (as can any other school with the right factors) provide an excellent balanced education. Ban state support for faith schools and they will not dissappear but they will be removed to the private sector, where firstly they will be less fair in their selection policies and secondly where they will be less restricted by national standards.
September 15th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
[...] have been thinking about faith schools and their role in broader society. To judge if faith schools are beneficial or harmful, I keep [...]
September 15th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
[...] read Anti-Citizen One’s views on Faith schools, and then his general theories on education, I felt I ought to make some sort of response. So here [...]