Catholic Schools

[The Fat Controller]

Leaked report suggests that Catholic and faith schools may have to save 25% of its pupil numbers for "non-believers".

See Here

[Jay]

Leaked report suggests that Catholic and faith schools may have to save 25% of its pupil numbers for "non-believers".

See Here

Maybe this is a little off-the-point, but how do you truly define a non-believer? These kids are usually born in to a Catholic family so to claim that they are 'believers' seems like a poor use of terminology to me. Do they believe in the teachings of their religion or are they simply being told what to believe until such time comes when they are able to question their beliefs? COuld they not rephrase to 'children of non-Catholic parents'? OK, so Catholics go through a 'confirmation' and therefore may argue that their children do have beliefs - personally, I'd still question such beliefs in an undeveloped mind. I admire anyone who can hold their hand up & claim to have faith. Some people have taken the time to soul search & determine that a religion/faith is for them. However, I do resent people (especially kids) that are force-fed religious beliefs. There are over 250,000 different denominations of the Christian religion alone - all claiming to be right!

Damn right too that Catholic schools should accept non-Catholics. The bible they use preaches tolerance and acceptance so, not allowing those that don't share their religious beliefs in to their schools would be hypocritical in my eyes.

I always remember my interview when I was applying to a Catholic college (I'm not or never was Catholic by the way). Sat on the desk next to me was a girl who was being interviewed at the same time. She was asked' Are you Catholic?' to which she replied 'No, but I'm willing to convert if it helps me get in.'.

[RedM]

I went to a catholic school, and both my children do so now. When I was at school there were no other religions admitted, the majority of the teachers were catholic and there were a few Nun's (who are the scarrest things on earth) who were teachers.

As a child I didn't know any different, you went to the school your parents decided and that was that, no question.

Now there is other religions at the school, but to be honest they are few and far between, the pupils are still nearly all catholic from what i understand. The RE lessons are much more diverse though, covering ALL religions and related topics, marrage, relationships etc. In my day you only got taught about being a good RC (fat lot of good it did me, if anything made the majority of us rebel!).

Yes I agree this is a way forward, and the school should allow others in. My concern is funding, these are voluntary aided schools, not funded totally from the council. A large portion is from the churches in the dioceses, so if people are attending the school and having all the benefits but not attending and giving in the churches they aren't contributing! Actually my children have recently come home with a letter asking for donations for those who don't contibute through the church, so the school has caught on to that!

It is quite difficult to get in, last year it was something like;

1. all baptised catholic children from local parishes were given first allocation.

2. baptised children from outside parishes whre there is no school.

3. brothers or sisters of current pupils

4. children with a christian faith commitment

5. other faiths not christian

6. other applicants.

You had to fill out forms, have baptism certificates or have statement from your religious minister to support your application. As you can see there were not many places open to 'other' as the school would have been filled by those it was designed for. I'm not sure they could find 25%.

Listening to the schools debate on tv a couple of weeks ago, someone said to get a good school you have to Pay, Pray or Move!

[Nogbad the Bad]

Not quite the same maybe, but visited St. Brendan's Sixth Form College this week.

"The Catholic College for the community".

Students of all faiths, or none, welcome.

Priority does seem to be given to their feeder schools though.

[Jay]

Not quite the same maybe, but visited St. Brendan's Sixth Form College this week.

"The Catholic College for the community".

Students of all faiths, or none, welcome.

Priority does seem to be given to their feeder schools though.

I went to St. Brendans & I'm not a Catholic. I must admit that they did very little to subject people to Catholosism at first though, a year or so later they made theology classes compulsory. That didn't really bother me as I was taking theology A-Level at the time. In fact, I enjoyed it as I'd argue & debate relentlessly with my fellow Catholic teachers & classmates. However, I object to this in principle & believe that the classes ought to be optional. I'd let people focus on the courses they opted to take rather than subject them to more education/progoganda than they want. I suppose that the reverse side of this arguement is that if non-catholics which to attend a catholic college then they have to respect the choices of such an establishment. I still disagree with this though. I also believe Catholocism to be a massively corrupt industry but I think that's an opinion to be elaborated in a different thread to this one.

I also agree that priority does seem to be given to feeder schools - it's a case of looking after your own.

[Guest DrFaustus]

Surely a Catholic school is entitled to choose Catholic students ahead of non-Catholics?? Ffs, if you applied for a job as a spark, you would expect to have the relevant skills, experience and qualifications. What on earth is wrong with a Catholic school asking for Catholic kids to enrol?

Bloody crazy world etc etc where are my slippers and pipe?

[The Fat Controller]

Maybe this is a little off-the-point, but how do you truly define a non-believer? These kids are usually born in to a Catholic family so to claim that they are 'believers' seems like a poor use of terminology to me. Do they believe in the teachings of their religion or are they simply being told what to believe until such time comes when they are able to question their beliefs? COuld they not rephrase to 'children of non-Catholic parents'? OK, so Catholics go through a 'confirmation' and therefore may argue that their children do have beliefs - personally, I'd still question such beliefs in an undeveloped mind. I admire anyone who can hold their hand up & claim to have faith. Some people have taken the time to soul search & determine that a religion/faith is for them. However, I do resent people (especially kids) that are force-fed religious beliefs. There are over 250,000 different denominations of the Christian religion alone - all claiming to be right!

Damn right too that Catholic schools should accept non-Catholics. The bible they use preaches tolerance and acceptance so, not allowing those that don't share their religious beliefs in to their schools would be hypocritical in my eyes.

I always remember my interview when I was applying to a Catholic college (I'm not or never was Catholic by the way). Sat on the desk next to me was a girl who was being interviewed at the same time. She was asked' Are you Catholic?' to which she replied 'No, but I'm willing to convert if it helps me get in.'.

All very good points, how do you define a Catholic at that age. I don't know. Maybe these "kids" should be given the chance to decide for themselves, so surely it makes sense that children of Catholic parents recieve the opportunity to have a Catholic education? I am Catholic, and a practising one. I attended a Catholic School. My elder sister for example, attended the same school; she is Catholic, but not a practising one. She was not brainwashed, and chose for herself that she would not attend church etc.

I went to a catholic school, and both my children do so now. When I was at school there were no other religions admitted, the majority of the teachers were catholic and there were a few Nun's (who are the scarrest things on earth) who were teachers.

As a child I didn't know any different, you went to the school your parents decided and that was that, no question.

Now there is other religions at the school, but to be honest they are few and far between, the pupils are still nearly all catholic from what i understand. The RE lessons are much more diverse though, covering ALL religions and related topics, marrage, relationships etc. In my day you only got taught about being a good RC (fat lot of good it did me, if anything made the majority of us rebel!).

Yes I agree this is a way forward, and the school should allow others in. My concern is funding, these are voluntary aided schools, not funded totally from the council. A large portion is from the churches in the dioceses, so if people are attending the school and having all the benefits but not attending and giving in the churches they aren't contributing! Actually my children have recently come home with a letter asking for donations for those who don't contibute through the church, so the school has caught on to that!

It is quite difficult to get in, last year it was something like;

1. all baptised catholic children from local parishes were given first allocation.

2. baptised children from outside parishes whre there is no school.

3. brothers or sisters of current pupils

4. children with a christian faith commitment

5. other faiths not christian

6. other applicants.

You had to fill out forms, have baptism certificates or have statement from your religious minister to support your application. As you can see there were not many places open to 'other' as the school would have been filled by those it was designed for. I'm not sure they could find 25%.

Listening to the schools debate on tv a couple of weeks ago, someone said to get a good school you have to Pay, Pray or Move!

Would you have been disappointed if this catholic school had rejected your children on the basis that it was over-subscribed because it "had" to accept 25% "non-believers".

Not quite the same maybe, but visited St. Brendan's Sixth Form College this week.

"The Catholic College for the community".

Students of all faiths, or none, welcome.

Priority does seem to be given to their feeder schools though.

Priority is indeed with the feeder Catholic Schools.

I went to St. Brendans & I'm not a Catholic. I must admit that they did very little to subject people to Catholosism at first though, a year or so later they made theology classes compulsory. That didn't really bother me as I was taking theology A-Level at the time. In fact, I enjoyed it as I'd argue & debate relentlessly with my fellow Catholic teachers & classmates. However, I object to this in principle & believe that the classes ought to be optional. I'd let people focus on the courses they opted to take rather than subject them to more education/progoganda than they want. I suppose that the reverse side of this arguement is that if non-catholics which to attend a catholic college then they have to respect the choices of such an establishment. I still disagree with this though. I also believe Catholocism to be a massively corrupt industry but I think that's an opinion to be elaborated in a different thread to this one.

I also agree that priority does seem to be given to feeder schools - it's a case of looking after your own.

And why not? Why should Catholic's be denied a "Catholic" education for "positive discrimination"? Would I expect to be admitted to an Islamic School ahead of an Islamic Student? No.

Surely a Catholic school is entitled to choose Catholic students ahead of non-Catholics?? Ffs, if you applied for a job as a spark, you would expect to have the relevant skills, experience and qualifications. What on earth is wrong with a Catholic school asking for Catholic kids to enrol?

Bloody crazy world etc etc where are my slippers and pipe?

Spot on IMO.

EDIT: Spelling

[RedM]

Disappointed? More really angry, I think! Right or wrong I wouldn't have been happy and would have gone to the appeals panel.

[tommy doc]

Not quite the same maybe, but visited St. Brendan's Sixth Form College this week.

"The Catholic College for the community".

Students of all faiths, or none, welcome.

Priority does seem to be given to their feeder schools though.

I noticed no vikings this week, were you in some disguise?

May i ask what you were doing there?

[Nogbad the Bad]

I noticed no vikings this week, were you in some disguise?

May i ask what you were doing there?

Nothing sinister, tommy, just going to the Open Evening with my son who's considering his options for next year.

6th Form Colleges are very trendy it seems, judging by the masses in attendance.

[The Fat Controller]

Nothing sinister, tommy, just going to the Open Evening with my son who's considering his options for next year.

6th Form Colleges are very trendy it seems, judging by the masses in attendance.

Tell him to get a job instead! Bloody leaching students! :razz: