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Supporter comments
Page 3 of 6: Three in ten families across England live in areas where most or all of the closest primary schools are faith schools and thousands are being assigned faith schools against their wishes.
Parents' perspectives on the Choice Delusion
Displaying 21 to 30 of 56
I'm looking at moving to a village, but the only school is run by the C of E. I scroll across google maps and the next 2 villages in a row are also only C of E! Where are the options for a non-religious education?
"I live right by a school (2 min walk) that I would like my daughter to go to. But as we are not a religious family I'm told she can't go there and will now have to drive my child to school as the others are 5-10 minute drive from our home."
"My daughter can't go to her local school because she hasn't been christened. This is discrimination, no matter how it is dressed up!"
"People should have the right to send their children to a non-faith school. In many villages/areas this is not practically possible. Segregating children by religion cannot help society."
"My own (atheist) children were taught creationist beliefs in their village primary school (there was no non-faith school we could choose), and that other faiths were essentially primitive. At secondary level, in our nearest town, there are three non-selective schools, two of which are faith schools. These faith schools don't accept children from families with no faith unless the families lie about their lack of faith. Our 'choice' was restricted to one school, therefore, unless our children passed the selective tests for the non-faith grammar schools. The faith schools' admissions criteria therefore massively distort the secondary system here."
"I had never looked into the rules of faith schools and admissions before. Now that I am expecting a baby soon, I have searched locally - I am shocked to discover that unbiased education free from religious dogma is not an option."
"Parents are forced to send children to faith schools as there is effectively no choice due to lack of school places and/or the need to move to a new house and area to avoid them. A faith school should not be forced up on us."
"As an atheist, my children are automatically not eligible for a great number of local schools in my area because I refuse to attend church to get them in. I am paying for these schools as a taxpayer but am not allowed to benefit from them."
It's not fair that my child has to be exposed to religious dogma if they want a local education, or that they have to travel miles to a non-faith school if the faith school around the corner is allowed to discriminate on the grounds of faith. All education should be secular as this is the most inclusive form of education.
My eldest just started Year 3 and has already chosen her secondary school, which is a local, but unfortunately, faith school. We are Christians but not church goers and as the admission policy stands, she would have no chance of getting in. I have briefly considered 'faking' it, getting her baptised and started attending church. But what exactly would I be teaching my child? Hypocrisy? Using religion as a tool to get what you want? I can only hope that change will come soon enough for as many non-worshippers children to benefit, mine included.
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Are you locked out of your local school based on religion? Have you been assigned a faith school against your wishes? Are faith schools your only option?
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