What do you make of this?

[Mr Creosote]

"As a White school our primary responsibility is to provide an education that supports
White parents with their responsibility to share their culture with their children. As a result,
White children are prioritised in our admissions criteria.
That said, there are children in our school who are not Whites and they are of course
valued members of our school community."

I reckon it's ok myself.

[mrfrapp]

1. Source?

Where's this quotation from?

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. A Catholic school:

http://www.devon.gov.uk/determ-stnicholas_exe.pdf

with the appropriate words changed.

[Mr Creosote]

4. Thanks for that

I was hoping to provoke a responsed from some christians, but obviously won't get it now.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Wasn't it blindingly obvious in the first place?

:shrug:

On edit: are you saying that you do yourself think it's OK for faith schools? And that you want people to see a difference between discrimination on the basis of faith, and ethnicity?

[Mr Creosote]

7. The "I reckon it's ok myself"

was a lie.

I don't want to see any discrimination at all. I'm thinking of becoming a primary school teacher, but what puts me off is that a great many of the posts that are advertised here in Cambridgeshire demand that the applicant be a "committed Christian". I am outraged and astonished that that is legal.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. They made it easier to discriminate recently

I think the old rules were that they could demand it for religious education teachers (and maybe they said that in a primary school, any form teacher would be teaching RE, but I'm not sure); from Sept 1st this year, they've allowed even for non-teaching posts:

As Accord is being launched new rules are being put in place to restrict even further the rights of staff in state funded religious schools. From 1 September 2008 it will be legal for voluntary controlled schools to reserve the headship for religious teachers and for voluntary aided schools to discriminate against non-teaching staff on the basis of their beliefs.

These changes have been in the pipeline since the passing of the Education and Inspections Act in 2006 so there was not much hope that we could change reverse the decision on the day of our launch! Nevertheless, we are determined that these appalling regulations will mark the high water mark of legalised religious discrimination in state funded schools.

http://www.accordcoalition.org.uk/index.php/2008/08/11/test-post/

From my reading of these 2 links below, schools can reserve one fifth (rounding up) or their teaching posts (including the head, now) for their chosen religion, and are allowed to discriminate when appointing them, or deciding what they get paid.

School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (paragraphs 58, 59 and 60)

Education and Inspections Act 2006 (see explanation about Section 37)

Maybe a teaching union could tell you whether these 'committed Christian' ads are actually legal - you'd think that only a fifth of those from the Christina schools could say it, and no others. Yeah, I'd like all religious tests to disappear from state schools altogether.

[Mr Creosote]

9. The ads aren't really the issue

whatever the ads say it will be "committed christians" that get the jobs in those schools anyway. And in any case I couldn't work in an environment where children are lied to and attempts are made to indoctrinate them.

[emad]

10. 'Committed' christian...

As in 'under the relevant section of the mental health act...'

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. No, it's wrong, would be illegal, and I'd like 'faith' schools out of the public sector too, please

Though it is worth recognising there is a difference between religion and ethnicity. A private faith school would be more on a par with a private Steiner, Montessori etc. school. There is a case for allowing parents some choice in the style of education their children receive, as long as it meets certain basic standards.

[fedsron2us]

6. Just goes to show that much 'education' is little more than indoctrination

a fact that strangely enough was first pointed out to me by a teacher at the rather conservative Grammar School I attended back in the 1970s.