More politics (stop reading now Bagman) as the issue of ‘faith schools’ came up again. Interesting language from Blair today as he said:
The prime minister said axing Muslim schools would mean ending Catholic, Jewish and Protestant schools too.
“Realpolitik” would prevent such a move, said Mr Blair.
Hardly a strong defence of them then. After all, ‘realpolitik’ prevents us from abolishing nasty people or crime, but that doesn’t mean it’s not something we’d like to do.
Why are ‘faith schools’ bad? Because it’s wrong to base a school around a particular ideology – imagine if we introduced ‘Labour’ schools or ‘Vote Eugene’ schools. You’d have thought that a divine, unwavering belief in a supreme power would be able to survive a few hours a day of not being lectured on why that particular supreme power is really really cool.
However, I’ll go along with the spirit of ‘realpolitik’ and respectfully respect a school to support my faith in the Invisible Pink Unicorn (Blessed Be Her Holy Hooves). What do you mean I’m in a small minority? What – like Jesus against all those Romans? OK OK, fair point. In that case – let’s have a Jedi Knight faith school. (Fourth largest reported religion in the country I’ll have you know.)
Religous schools can never be good, like pretty much any school filtered for non academic reasons, and they’re not always good.
The invisible pink unicorn is brilliant, did you pick it up at Eton, btw?
Actually I’d heard of it before – but at Eton (during the Philosophy lessons) I truly became a believer. It’s the best answer to the "Haha you can’t prove God doesn’t exist" line of argument which seems to say that you must believe in absolutely everything unless you find evidence not to.
To be honest i think faith schools are fine theyre just bad when they are told that other religons a lot of crap..
Im a muslim going into a Christian faith school I was bullied like hell because (i was only 5) I had only a few friends who were all non-christian except for one thats why I moved to malorees
I just think that it’s hard to teach about other religions, if you do at all, in an equal and un biased way in a faith school.
Personally I’d hate to go to an exclusively atheist school, because I think learning more about religion in the way that I do, and learning others view on it.
Well if Muslim school are axed, Catholic schools should have to close. England is a christian country, the protestants an catholics are christian obviously.
And also, I hope no pagan-witches read your blog…. (Blessed Be is a holy term in their world. Using it for mockery purposes could get yourself hexed man.)
Britain is a secular country. And you won’t be surprised to hear I’m not afraid of a few witches…
Meh….. outdated view there, Jay. Ask me why when I get back.
I think the whole idea is stupid. If you base your entire teaching system on a religion, then everything is biased to help support religious beliefs. If that doesn’t happen, its a real faith school.