[Jack_]

What's your stance on them? Should they be allowed to exist?

[Patrick]

No - and Religion should stop being taught in schools.

[arista]

Originally Posted by Jack_

What's your stance on them? Should they be allowed to exist?

No
Blair set them up with his Corrupt New Labour
for more votes

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by arista

No
Blair set them up with his Corrupt New Labour
for more votes

A lot of my friends went to catholic school.....I don't remember Tony Blair being PM in 1985..

[Niall]

No I suppose. There's no need really. I've gone to religious schools all my life and no-one really cares. Religion is a private and personal thing that a child should decide for themselves in life anyway, instead of being indoctrinated into it at an early age.

I'd abolish them, along with private schools.

[Harry!]

I have never been to a religious school but they should be kept, as parents may wish to send their children to set schools. For example some Muslim children are sent to Islamic schools at a young age to learn the teachings of the Quran. Parents are only doing it for the best of you and that way is the way of God.

Religious Studies should also be kept in schools as it allows you to have an understanding of other cultures. Some of the main predudice comes from ignorance. Religion can do good for people.

I do not hold a religious faith but it should still be kept in schools.

[Samuel.]

I'm against faith schools, as religion should be something that the individual decides on, rather than being taught to believe it's fact at a young age.

[Scarlett.]

I went to a Catholic Primary and High School we were taught about Christianty and Catholicism, but we were also taught about Athiesm, Judism, Hinduism and Islam. Not to mention out science teachers made it clear that the big bang is how the universe came about, not magic. So I don't see a problem.

[MTVN]

I don't see too much of a problem if they're providing a decent education and it's not too heavily biased in favour of their religion, there's no reason why they can't be just as good as a secular school

[Niamh.]

I think Education and Religion should be separate. Unfortunately, over here most of the schools are still mainly Catholic, the older I get the more annoyed I am with both myself and our government for not having more options when sending my kids to school. There is no non denominational school near where I live so I've had to send my kids to a Catholic school which I hate because I don't believe any of the stuff they teach my kids, I've had to try and counter this by chatting with my kids about other possibilities and telling them that what they're being taught in Religion class is not fact like the teachers say and they should make their own minds up about it.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I think Education and Religion should be separate. Unfortunately, over here most of the schools are still mainly Catholic, the older I get the more annoyed I am with both myself and our government for not having more options when sending my kids to school. There is no non denominational school near where I live so I've had to send my kids to a Catholic school which I hate because I don't believe any of the stuff they teach my kids, I've had to try and counter this by chatting with my kids about other possibilities and telling them that what they're being taught in Religion class is not fact like the teachers say and they should make their own minds up about it.

Agree with this completely. Education should be secular, although I do think there should be some teaching about different religions. I went to classes for my own religion but I went outside normal school hours and it was something that I chose to do. I think that's the right way.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Livia

Agree with this completely. Education should be secular, although I do think there should be some teaching about different religions. I went to classes for my own religion but I went outside normal school hours and it was something that I chose to do. I think that's the right way.

Absolutely, If parents feel strongly about religion then they should send their kids to learn about it on the weekend or after school. I am a believer in children deciding for themselves though and not having it forced upon them

[Kizzy]

I think RE should be taught in primary schools to counter the ignorance and the misinformation relating to some religions.

[Marc]

My friends who have been to religious schools say they don't have any stronger religious beliefs because of it (some don't even follow a relgion despite being born into a family that has a faith). I don't see the need for them personally.

[MTVN]

My primary school was technically a C of E school but in practice this didn't really mean much, we had a 10 minute assembly most days with a hymn and a prayer but that was pretty much it, it didn't really influence my beliefs one way or the other; we were never explicitly told that God exists and were still encouraged to think and make decisions for ourselves. The other nearest school wasn't religious but the standard of education was worse there so I'm glad I went to the school that I did

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by MTVN

My primary school was technically a C of E school but in practice this didn't really mean much, we had a 10 minute assembly most days with a hymn and a prayer but that was pretty much it, it didn't really influence my beliefs one way or the other; we were never explicitly told that God exists and were still encouraged to think and make decisions for ourselves. The other nearest school wasn't religious but the standard of education was worse there so I'm glad I went to the school that I did

See the Catholic Schools here are different, they actually have Religion class and by that I mean Catholic teachings and being told it's fact. Gav told my daughter to ask her teacher about where Dinosaurs came into things and her teacher told her "God made a mistake"............... can you believe that sh*t???

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

See the Catholic Schools here are different, they actually have Religion class and by that I mean Catholic teachings and being told it's fact. Gav told my daughter to ask her teacher about where Dinosaurs came into things and her teacher told her "God made a mistake"............... can you believe that sh*t???

Oh dear yeah in that case then it isn't really fair because you're just imposing the beliefs on kids as though they're facts, it's a shame there isn't really that much choice over there

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by MTVN

Oh dear yeah in that case then it isn't really fair because you're just imposing the beliefs on kids as though they're facts, it's a shame there isn't really that much choice over there

It will eventually change, but Ireland was virtually run by the church up to not so long ago, all those stories about abuse my priests and that were mostly in church/state run institutions, they're all gone now but the state schools are still mostly run by the Catholic Church.

[Kizzy]

Same, we sang a hymn and said the lords prayer...But I don't remember it feeling 'churchy'

[Roy Mars III]

I went to a Christian school, which was better in the long run because it was a much better school than any of the public ones here.

so yea, if they are privately funded they should be allowed

[Niamh.]

I was listening to a story on the radio this morning actually concerning this topic. An Irish woman who has been living in England the last 2 years, wants to move back here and is trying to get her daughter enrolled in a school but she's an athiest. She put her name down in the non denominational schools but on one of them she's no 261 on the list and there's is only 30 places. All the Catholic/protestant schools have a list of criteria of which children they will give priority to..........athiest children being bottom of that list.

The DJ gave a figure which might give you an idea what it's like over here : 92% of STATE run schools are catholic...........it's a disgrace imo that schools run apparently by the state are allowed discriminate on children based on religion. If they're privately run fair enough but these are state run schools

[lostalex]

Private institutions should teach however they like to teach. If they want accreditation then obviously they must adhere to certain educational standards.

I see no reason why faith schools are any less credible than secular schools, as long as they teach the same basics that all schools teach and gain accreditation through the same channels, why not?

I'd send my kids to a successful and safe catholic school over a failing inner city public school any day.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by lostalex

Private institutions should teach however they like to teach. If they want accreditation then obviously they must adhere to certain educational standards.

I see no reason why faith schools are any less credible than secular schools, as long as they teach the same basics that all schools teach and gain accreditation through the same channels, why not?

I'd send my kids to a successful and safe catholic school over a failing inner city public school any day.

Well the problem here is choice............or lack of it to be more precise. 92% of the schools here that are state schools are Catholic run and your child is at the bottom of the enrolling list if they're atheist, that's fine if it's a private school but they're not (here anyway) they're our state run schools.

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Well the problem here is choice............or lack of it to be more precise. 92% of the schools here that are state schools are Catholic run and your child is at the bottom of the enrolling list if they're atheist, that's fine if it's a private school but they're not (here anyway) they're our state run schools.

well faith schools shouldn't be receiving government money. as far as i know here faith schools are all privately run businesses. It would be wrong for a faith based school to receive public funding.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by lostalex

well faith schools shouldn't be receiving government money.

Yes and that's my main problem with them and what needs changing here