Church Schools
October 1st, 2006 by Stephen
When it comes to Church schools, it seems that some atheists can’t help but tie themselves up into some unfortunate knots of inconsistency.
A case in point this morning on BBC News 24’s coverage, where they invited two people into the studio to attack the Church school system (notably without anyone to defend the schools against their attack). One of the invited guests was a rather shrill woman of the type that really ought not to be invited onto programmes seeking to inform rather than entertain.
It seems that this woman was an avowed atheist who is annoyed that when her children reach secondary school age, they will not be allowed to go to a Church school on account of the fact that they are being brought up as vehement atheists, by their mother’s own admission.
Why should she care? Well it turns out that whilst only 18% of school places in England and Wales are in Church schools, such schools occupy 44% of the top 200 schools in these countries. Thus this woman wants her children to benefit from the better faith based schools in her area.
But what is she arguing? That such schools should not be allowed to select based on the faith of the families entering them! She (and others who commented to the programme) essentially think successful faith based schools should be removed from our system and that we should have a totally secular system, as they have in the U.S.
The inconsistency lies here: when considering whether it was the faith based teaching or backgrounds of the children in the school that contributed to the school’s success, the argument made was that it was neither, but rather that the schools were selecting the best pupils by interview, and that the teaching was no better than in non faith schools.
Now this is an interesting point. Because if this argument is correct, and that the schools - despite being higher placed in league tables - are providing no greater improvement on their pupils than secular state schools, then this woman will not benefit her children by sending them to these schools.
And that is the inconsistency. If this woman really believed that faith based schools conferred no advantage on the children who go there, then she would not be annoyed that her offspring would be ineligible for entry.
Leave the faith schools alone. They were the foundation of our education system, long before the state got into the education business, and this is why we have these Church schools.
It’s interesting that here in the U.S. we went to public schools with faith teaching, and then when we removed it the proficiency level dropped and church schools had to be created. Now we’re moving toward Homeschooling for those that really want to give their children a solid education. Seems that we have come full circle.
I attended Garth Hill School in Bracknell, Berkshire when I was over in England back in the 80s. Not a Church school, I believe, though they had a priest speak at an assembly. It was supposed to be one of the better schools in the area at the time.
In any case, great post.
Oh Good Grief!
We will never understand what passes as “logic” for those who are without Christ. Complete lunacy. And I really hope they don’t ever make the schools in the UK like the ones here in the US. Did you hear that even the one room school house of the Amish is no longer safe here? There was a hostage situation from a man (not an Amish man) who shot up an Amish school. sad sad sad.
Mrs Meg Logan
Yes, unfortunately we have seen the news about the Amish school shootings. They say the shooter held some kind of grudge for some childhood event - but how many of these schoolchildren could do the same one day. An example of how Christian forgiveness and healing could be so much more powerful than the desire for retribution.
Thanks for your comments.
Somehow I doubt that the Amish school children will do the same, as most of them will come to the Lord and be able to forgive. But a grudge is not an excuse! Being molested is not an excuse or a justification of molesting others. Our sin (if we are in Christ) is within our control. If we are not, well, then they are under the law, and there ought to be no holding back of the fullest judgement of the law here on earth. I would pray however(and offer opportunity), that those people would accept Christ’s forgiveness before they meet with the guillotine/chair or however we decided to dispense justice.
Mrs Meg Logan
(as you can tell I have pretty strong feelings in this area, but am not well versed. I feel there is something wrong with your thinking on it, but cannot reason what or how. Perhaps together we could delve more deeply into the issue of earthly justice.)