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Greenies call for a ban on Catholic Schools

The Greens have called for the abolition of Catholic schools in Scotland. Green leader Robin Harper claimed that having separate schools "tends to divide communities".

Another fine example of their dedication to saving the environment, by stamping out those polluting Catholic schools. And you tell me that the Greens are not total loonies.

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Comments

  1. The article implies that the Catholic schools are paid for by the state. If that's true, then I would agree with the Greens. If they aren't state supported, it's none of the Green's business.

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  2. Hi Skyman.

    You are right. Public education in Scotland was pioneered by the Church of Scotland, which handed over their parish schools to the state in 1872. There was great expectation that the State financed system would favour the presbyterian schools.

    Catholic schools had emerged as a response to the discrimination against the Irish and Irish Catholic communities. It was a way in which the Catholic Church could provide education for people in poverty who were largely excluded from the Presbyterian mainstream.

    The Catholic schools therefore chose not to join the state system established in 1872.

    Over the next few decades the secular standards improved, and Catholic Schools slipped.

    The Education (Scotland) Act 1918, brought the Catholic schools into State control. Privately funded Catholic schools was not allowed.

    This provided the Catholic schools with badly needed funding, and helped raise the standards. Under State control, the core curriculum was set, they had to accept non-catholic students and had much less control. They were open to scrutiny from State Inspectors.

    In exchange for this, the Catholic Church/local officials could approve the teachers for their 'religious belief' and 'character' and they were able to include religious instruction.

    The arrangement worked fairly well.

    Later, the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 required education authorities and schools to make provision for religious education and religious observance with opportunities for parents to withdraw their children if they wish. This was augmented with a separate document (Religious Education 5-14 Roman Catholic Schools) in 1994 in recognition of the right of church authorities to determine the religious education curriculum in Catholic schools.

    The Greens are not approaching the issue of "state funding" for "extra non-secular teaching" though, they are simply promoting the banning of such schools, and totally contrary to the above acts.

    Not only that, but these acts prevent the establishment of privately funded schools, reinforcing the banning.

    Bad Greens.

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  3. So seperate schools "tend to divide communities" eh..
    I guess they're calling for Muslim schools to be closed as well then?

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  4. "separate" that should be...grrrr

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  5. In the US Catholic schools are generaly not state funded, so the situation is quiet different. They also tend to be where the parents, Catholic or other, who can afford it send their children to avoid the often failing public schools. The

    Private schools of all types have been flourishing in the US for many years, espcailly since desegregation. In many areas when the schools were integrated all the white kids just abandoned the public schools when off to the brand new, often local church supported, private school.

    All that said, school choice is always a hot topic come election time here.

    Bad Greens Indeed.

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