Top Marks

[Onelife]

This head teacher gets top marks for standing her ground in my book. The Muslim girl and her mother clearly knew she was attending a secular school and yet they still pursued this perceived discriminatory case through the courts. Thankfully the judge saw sence and ruled against her claim, and in doing so has given head teachers the right to determine how their school should be run.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-l ... riminatory.

My personal view is that all faith schools should be closed down, including Catholic and C of E which should ensure a more balanced approach to learning about different faiths.

The one good thing about this case is that the legal fees (estimated to be around150K) have been well spent in stopping further such claims.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Agree 100% with para 1.

Disagree with para 2 because it's about choice in my mind. And with that choice the Muslim mother could have sent the girl to a Muslim school if that's the sort of education she wanted.

Shame she hasn't been made to pay the school's costs (at least I can't see anywhere that she has). That would have definitely stopped future nonsense!

[Slapstick]

"It's about choice in my mind. And with that choice the Muslim mother could have sent the girl to a Muslim school if that's the sort of education she wanted"

Agreed, faith schools are fine, but multi-faith schools will inevitably create problems for those running them.

Halal food for some, prayer times for others,
Jahovah's can't attend Christmas assemblies etc, etc.

Glad the judges saw sense, simple answer, choose the school that supports your child's religious needs.

[Ray B]

Of course you can say the same with lots of scenarios where someone wants to change something to suit themselves. One that comes to mind is a cruise that advertise formal dining and a person books it and moans about not being allowed in a formal venue.

[Onelife]

I’m sure there will come a time when we align ourselves to the same view point Sir Merv, but once again, I find myself disagreeing with your view that faith schools should be a “Matter of Choice” …. So, let’s start with choice…. sending your child to a faith school is the parents’ choice not the child’s choice, neither is it the choice of the child to be indoctrinated into a faith of their parents choosing. Yes’ children are indoctrinated because they believe in their parents and their teachers who give preference to that particular faith…. this isn’t education, it is segregation and denies a child freedom of choice to explore other options as to their existence…. they may well be brought up in a particular faith but that shouldn’t mean they have to brainwashed into believing it before having the intellectual capacity to think otherwise. imo

[Ray B]

Keith, you posted = freedom of choice to explore other options as to their existence.
Like wanting to change genders?
Are they putting something in the water because this [changing genders] seems to be more and more common.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Don't parents make lots of choices on behalf of their children in their early years? The choice of school is just one of them.

[Onelife]

Keith, you posted = freedom of choice to explore other options as to their existence.
Like wanting to change genders?
Are they putting something in the water because this [changing genders] seems to be more and more common.

Hi Ray, by posing that question I’m presuming you are thinking there are more who struggle with their gender identity than one would expect? Being a gender confident heterosexual man I’m not really in a position to give a view on how or why some feel they are in the wrong body, but clearly this is the case for many. My unqualified view is that many factors come into play but for those sitting on the fringes it doesn’t now appear to be as big a leap to openly question your identity as perhaps it was a few years back. What we do know is that teenagers are easily influenced by our now relaxed attitudes to every sexual orientation going, and for some the life styles of such are quite appealing, especially for those who haven’t as yet found the direction in life that gives them self-worth.

What do you think?

[Onelife]

Don't parents make lots of choices on behalf of their children in their early years? The choice of school is just one of them.

They do indeed, and in certain sections of society they are made to adhere and not question them.

[Slapstick]

Don't parents make lots of choices on behalf of their children in their early years? The choice of school is just one of them.

Exactly, that's what good parents do, make informed decisions for the welfare of their children.