Faith Schools

I was having this discussion in school the other day. It got quite interesting.

How relevant are faith schools?
Should faith schools only include people from that particular faith?
Should they be private or comprehensive schools? (I can't remember what the American equivalent of a comprehensive is.)

...And any other questions you might like to answer.
I didn't think this really belonged in the religion thread; it's more of a wider issue, and it incorporates lots of politics.

I go to a catholic school, i'm a catholic. My best friend goes to my school and isn't catholic, infact, i can't name a close friend of mine who is.
I think the "faith" of a school is quite a non-issue actually.

I went to Catholic school until sophmore year. I honestly have to say, that my ten years in Catholic school taught me near to nothing. Most teachers in Catholic school are only required to get their Associate degree, and barely know enough to teach the students away. The grade VERY easily, so instead of failing test that I should have failed, I passed them. the also casually leave out information in history class, and they don't allow students to read books like Catcher in the Rye. The only good thing Catholic school is for, is furthering your education in religion, because they pretty much shove that down your throat.

i'm from a christian school, we have chapel and r.e and stuff, but they don't force you to do anything. some people who got to my school arn't even christian, but it doens't really matter

I go to a Catholic school and I don't feel that religion is being forced down my throat so-to-speak. We pray and have masses and liturgies etc. but you're not forced to do any of them. You're just expected to respect things, as it is with every religion. And during compulsory Religion lessons, the general feel I get from the lessons is "this is what Catholic's believe" not "this is what you must believe". And where I go to school...once you're in Year 11 and 12, you still must do mandatory religion classes, but it doesn't necessarily have to be Catholic studies. You can do Studies of Religion which means you learn about other faiths.

People from other faiths are allowed into faith school's where I live, I believe, but I think when it comes down to acceptance of enrollment, if the school is quite sought after and they have to choose between an active member of their faith community or someone not of their faith, it makes sense that they'd choose the person of their faith just because they'd be getting that religious education that they believe in.

<3makemearedcape

bloodredruby69:

As long as faith schools follow the set curriculum of the county/province they are in, they are totally relevant.

I do think, however, that you should be able to chose whether or not you attend a faith school. If you don't believe or do not want to be taught in a religious atmosphere, you should have the option of going to a public school. If you want to go to a faith school, you should be able to have that option, regardless of your current religion.

faith schools and public schools are often the same thing.

^ No. From my experience, public schools offer a better education than catholic schools.

i think it's pretty hit or miss. i've heard of catholic schools that have really good educations; others, not so much.

i went to one for a year, but that was during pre-school, so it's not like i can really say that much about it. i personally don't think i'd like it, because i sort of "left" the catholic church when i was 12 or 13, but hey, some people might be happy there.

Erry Ishmas:

^ No. From my experience, public schools offer a better education than catholic schools.

That depends on the school.
I don't think there is anything wrong with private/faith schools. The public schools in the area might be bad so the person decides to go to a private school.

Erry Ishmas:

^ No. From my experience, public schools offer a better education than catholic schools.

ah, you don't understand what i was saying. In england, i go to a public school, it is a faith school. I think you mean private schools offer a better education than public schools.

I go to Ami's school.

I'm not a catholic.

In religious debate I argue against catholicism sometimes. I've been told off for it once, but the teacher was a whack job.

It's a helluva lot better than the other schools around here. Apart from private ones.

yeah in america it's different, only private schools can be faith schools, so the general understanding is that the education is better. that's not always true but it's what's understood.

I do know someone who goes to a military faith school in the states, and it seems to be a very good environment for him, he seems to enjoy himself. Faith schools are a very good thing if you're religious yourself. I don't believe in parents forcing religion upon their kids though, so perhaps faith schools are only right if they are secondary schools when the children are old enough to make a conscious choice.

I go to a Catholic school. I don't find it a problem really. I'm not catholic and I don't believe in many of the religious values the school holds. Nuns actually teach some lessons but I don't find it awkward or anything. The only thing I did find awkward was when my grandads died and although the nuns are ever so kind they were all telling me about god and heaven which I don't exactly beleive in. It wasn't really what I wanted to hear. But besides that I don't mind in the slightest. Except when I was called a satanist but...yeah thats another story.

haha that's the kind of thing people say to me.
that's one of the little... "grudges", for lack of a better term, that i've held against religion and religious schools. however genuinely the religion's leaders, even the school's teachers hearts may be in the right place, that doesn't always go for the students. i've read of people who were teased and harrassed in a religious school environment for horribly silly things...for instance i was reading the rise against article on wikipedia, and it turns out that their singer went to catholic school and was teased/harrassed/what have you, because he had heterochromia-one blue and one brown eye-and the kids there said it was the mark of the beast or some such nonsense.

it just seems like the kind of thing that could cause more separation and clique-ish behavior. many churches seem to have an aversion to things and people that are different, and label them as evil...that sort of attitude could be carried onto the kids.

i think faith schools are fine just as long as every faith has the same opportunities, like catholic, buddhist, wiccan etc etc.

yh