Integration is the name of the game!
If people want all the benefits of living in a free, tolerant Western country they should be prepared to buy into the ethos.
Education should not be indoctrination.
As an ex secondary headteacher my school had to abide by the laws of the land and the national curriculum. These ‘unregistered schools’ are spreading propaganda, racism, homophobia and creationism. They cannot be allowed. All schools should be under the jurisdiction of the government (no matter how stupid some of their policies are). We cannot tolerate people pedalling religious or political dogma and indoctrinating our kids even if that is what parents want.
All schools should be registered and their premises deemed safe and up to standard.
We cannot have Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Jews, Hindus or any other religion seeking to isolate their children from mainstream culture. That leads to segregation, misunderstanding and terrorism.
Hasn’t Northern Ireland and ISIS taught us anything?
That’s it – I’m not going!
Not going where?
Opher, I am off, just washed up after dinner about ten minutes ago David helped as usual. See you in the morning, if Andrew is still on “Night Andrew, fun talking with you”. “Sleep Warm”
Night Anna.
Just got my internet fixed!!! Yipeee!!! It went off completely yesterday!! Now running great! First time in months.
I’m with Andrew. Not going!
Mary – what are you doing with Andrew? He’s a bad influence. And where aren’t you going?
Correction – you mean “he cannot be influenced”!
I don’t know about that. I suspect we’re all susceptible to subtle nudges.
Only when I’m in a record shop – impossible to leave empty handed!
I know. I sometimes wonder why I got into this collecting mania. Fortunately I soon forget.
You know me and collecting, my Son keeps reminding me how much I have cost him – well I am his Mother.
He should be pleased to put the money in. It’s pay back for the love.
He is very generous too generous to be honest
Hm… I get where you’re coming from, but how can have a free society if people are not free to set up their own “parochial-type schools” if they wish. Isn’t that like picking and choosing what freedoms you want everyone to have? (Playing devil’s advocate here. 😀 )
Freedom is relative. We don’t have a free society. I don’t think we can have one. It would be anarchy. It is about getting the balance right. We should have personal freedoms within a structure. I do not believe that people with radical views should have the right to indoctrinate or teach things that are incorrect. Children should be protected and the state, as representative of the people, should set the parameters of what is taught to ensure that there is tolerance, fairness, democratic principles and caring attitudes. Everyone should have a say but then work within a prescribed framework. Otherwise we have fanatics (political and religious) bringing up children with hate and lies. I agree – it is hard.
Has it ever been done in a country anywhere before?
I think that’s the system in most of Scandinavia, at least in Iceland, Finland and Sweden.
Yes. It was done in Sweden and Denmark.
I, personally, am worried about fundamentalist teaching/beliefs of any persuasion. We all breathe, eat, bleed, feel pain/sorrow/joy/love/anger … I’m not convinced that separation into various faith schools is the way to ensure a solid grounding in education, citizenship, humanity, society etc. Nor am I convinced that our government, whichever party is in power, is capable of ensuring equality throughout society – I’m not sure our ‘leaders’ have the balls to grasp the political leviathan by its horns, chop off its head, and rebuild from the ground up.
It’s so much easier, and definitely less costly on the tax payer, to keep the system as it is, just adding sticky plaster, chewing gum and sellotape around the fraying edges and moth holes. If that means allowing unregistered schools to proliferate in some areas, well, it gives our political masters something to blame and keeps the focus away from other serious issues bubbling away underneath the surface.
Am I cynical? I’m afraid so. Fundamentalism can produce fanaticism and intolerance which can, in turn, develop into something dangerous and unstoppable. So can some of the other issues which our government needs to get a handle on. Poverty, poor education, lack of opportunities, the feeling amongst some of our young people that there is nothing out there for them, all these can morph into disengagement with wider society and lead to anger and violence on our streets and, eventually, a whole raft of far more serious issues for which our governments have had no real answers over the years.
Thank you Ruth. I agree with everything you say. I an just as skeptical as you regarding a solution. Something needs to happen though.