Schools and Religion do they mix?

29.01.08

Birmingham is celebrated as one of the most diverse cities in Britain, with a vibrant mix of just over a million people including people of African, Afro-Caribbean, Asian, and Chinese ethnicities. The main religions include Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Judaism.

With approximately 450 schools in the city, faith schools already make up just under a quarter of them with 96 in total. The majority of these are Catholic, followed by Anglican, with Evangelic Christians, Muslim and Jewish schools in the minority.

No wonder recent government proposals to allow local authorities the opportunity to open as many faith schools as they want, have been welcomed by some parents, who want their religious beliefs to be maintained.

Unfortunately, this came as a brick on the plate of some MPs who found it hard to swallow an idea, which they felt could have possible fatal consequences for an increasingly multicultural and religiously diverse Britain.

Some parents echoed the same concern. Jonathan Dewell, a 37-year-old podiatrist and father of two says, “Single faith schools risk promoting an insular society if they do not balance religious beliefs with the needs of the community as a whole. Schools are about education not indoctrination. It should provide a neutral territory promoting understanding and fairness, developing self esteem and providing a learning environment. The lack of differentiation between religion and politics makes them difficult subjects to teach requiring sensitivity and skill. Assigning a faith to a school takes them out of the neutral zone depersonalising the pupils and inferring to the outside world a political/religious viewpoint.” Jonathan maintains however, that religion should still be taught in schools as long as it is on the fundamental components of each religion not on its interpretation. If interpretation is the proverbial fox in the vine does it create an atmosphere ripe for strife among the future zealots of each individual religion? Jonathan goes on to say, “I think people need an identity and a belonging, religion provides this for some. Equally gang culture provides identity and belonging but we wouldn’t allow this in our schools.”

On the other hand Joanne Jacobs, a 41-year-old Health Visitor and also a mother of two believes the outcome can be quite the opposite. She said, “Going to a faith school will in no wise harm children.” As a practicing Christian she points out that they will learn things that will fit them for the Kingdom and when they are old enough they can make their own choice on whether they want to pursue the faith or not. She believes that faith schools should have nothing to hide so as long as they are open about their religious curriculum and practices they will work well. If not and they are closed about what they believe, teach and do – it can be a recipe for disaster. Nevertheless, Joanne likes the idea of a broad education, she says, “I don’t want my children to be cocooned; I want them to experience life and how things work in the real world as one day they will be mixing with people of different cultures and religions.”

The truth is for many parents the choice of where to send their child to school is not simply a question of faith. In the battle between the sacred and the secular, class, culture and race can act as the grey shade that colours the outcome. According to Theologian and Broadcaster Dr Robert Beckford, who hails from Birmingham, “Many people who send their children to faith schools are seeking a particular religious-cultural, socio-political experience. For instance, many Muslims send their children to faith schools because they want them to be nurtured in a supportive cultural environment free from, racism. Likewise many middle class whites opt for faith schools because they feel the quality of education will give their children the best chance to obtain good grades and gain a good university place”.

Beckford makes two key observations. The first is about the racism faced by Muslims, most certainly escalated by the war on Iraq and the 7th July London suicide bombings. Not only do Muslim parents want their children to learn and apply Muslim values, but they also want them to be in a safe and comfortable environment, free from racially motivated contentions. Secondly, Beckford concentrates on Middle class Whites and one is all too familiar and with reports on ‘late in life conversions’ and postcode lottery winnings in order to move their child’s name up on the very long waiting list for faith schools. David Cameron himself commended parents who played the system in order to get their children into the school of their choice, “I think it’s good for parents who want the best for their kids. I don’t blame anyone who tries to get their children into a good school. Most people are doing so because it has ethos and culture. I believe in active citizens.” The fact is Faith schools perform better than secular schools in terms of discipline and academic results. One can easily see the link between the two in a society where all too often, the teacher must first act as a parent and therefore forfeit vital time that should have been spent teaching. There are those who believe the government have so tied the hands of teachers in secular institutions that they are no longer able to perform adequately the job which they set out to do.

“For African Caribbean children, the state system does not work”, believes Beckford, “So faith schools, especially those with an affirming cultural environment are irresistible for African Caribbean parents.” Ironically, most Afro-Caribbean families are from the Evangelical Pentecostal denomination as opposed to the Catholic or Anglican tradition. In a city where there are hardly any Evangelical schools, the Christian faith in its core foundational essentials of the death, burial and resurrection will suffice, despite the denomination. For parents these sorts of reasons are valid in relation to the individual child, but in looking at the wider picture what does the future hold for a community that could very well be systematically divided under the guise of religious beliefs. “Yes, I do think it will encourage division. How could it possibly do anything else? That is in fact exactly what it is designed to do”, believes John Crawshaw, a 36-year-old teacher and Father of two with one on the way. “Muslims go to one school, C of E to another, Jews to yet another. If parents do not want their children to be 'secularised' then fair enough - take them to church on a Sunday, mosque on a Friday and so on. It is strange that as church attendances are dropping, more people want to go to religious schools”. In the end John decided to move to another area in order to get his child into the secular school of his choice.

I myself went to a secular primary school that should not have promoted any religion. The reality was quite different as it could have easily been confused with a multi-faith school. I clearly remember the numerous assemblies that began with the sound of Bob Marley’s ‘One Love’, and with that foundation the headmaster spoke about respect, peace and unity. Christmas and Diwali were celebrated with songs and parties, but not Eid, as the Muslim children celebrated that in their homes. Were my parents pleased with that? Probably not as we were Christians, however, a firm foundation at home meant I knew what I believed and was able to learn and have a healthy respect for what other families believed. Unfortunately, a child should not have to wait until he or she gets into the office before he makes friends with someone of a different religion, race or culture. On the other hand Dewell says: “It is every parent’s right for their child not to be secularised or indoctrinated by other faiths.”

Dr Robert Beckford takes the middle ground in looking back on his own childhood school days, “I went to an inner city comprehensive school that was ethnically and religiously diverse. It was a great experience by accident rather than design. I became friends with people from other faith backgrounds and learned a great deal from them. But on reflection we were all minorities and stuck together because we felt excluded from the mainstream. I’d like my child to have the best of both worlds – a school that takes faith diversity seriously and one that is inclusive. Wherever these values are practiced in either a faith or secular school, I would send my children.”

If it is the aim of some to bring the community back together it is fundamental to not only teach those who are young about social cohesion but to act upon it. It is equally important that one has the right to abide by the principles as laid out by their chosen faith. With more religious groups petitioning for the right to open faith schools and just as many protesting to keep them in the secular realm the parent has a decision to make based on their beliefs and convictions.

Nothing Short of Soho

14.10.07

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Clare Short is known for her forthrightness as an Independent Labour MP and has represented the constituency of Soho within the House of Commons since 1983. Before this she was the Director of Youthaid, the Unemployment Unit and the community based organisation AFFOR that promoted racial equality. Chosen by virtue of the winning vote it is her role to highlight and act as a constituent advocate; so even if you did not vote for or agree with her views, she is still your representative and first port of call regarding matters of local and central government. Regardless of party membership and political affiliations - your MP can help you with a range of matters if you find there is no one else to help in a certain situation. Asked if growing up in the area she now works for is what shaped the humanitarian side of her, she answered: “My family shaped me and my constituency reinforced those values”.

Clare was born and raised in Ladywood, Birmingham, on 15 February 1946, she can intercede on your behalf for many reasons some of which, to name the most common, include tax problems (excluding council tax), National Health Service (NHS) issues, Social Security Department matters, education, immigration and employment. This excludes matters to which you can be referred to your local authorities for and also private disputes, which would be a matter for the judicial system to handle. She has the power to write a letter on your behalf to deal with an initial problem – if the matter can not be dealt with as simply as this she can then bring the issue to parliament, highlight any issues in the House of Commons, in the press or publicly. Dealing with this sort of work load is quite time consuming as Clare can testify: “Roughly, I spend the weekends in my constituency and weekdays in Parliament but have lots of constituency mail and casework daily.”

I asked Clare if the area she represents had improved at all since it had been characterised by unemployment and criminality. She answered frankly that it was mixed: “Better in some ways, worse in others. I have helped many individuals but the consequence of the party whose policies I helped to shape for 20 years has been very disappointing.” She added she had no regrets in her decision to resign from the Government over the Iraq war in 2006.

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http://www.epolitix.com/EN/MPWebsites/Clare+Short

100 Days in Power

08.10.07


Its been over 100 days in power for the uncharismatic Gordon Brown, who has just come under harsh criticism for holding off on the would be November General Election. At the top of the list we have Tory Leader David Cameron, who wouldn’t dare miss out on an opportunity to capitalise on this possible tragic decision stating the Prime Minister is, ‘treating the British people as fools’.

If we cast our minds back to Brown’s statement to Parliament in July, we’ll see he was proposing quite the opposite when he called for a constitutional reform that entrusted more power to Parliament and the British Citizens. It would appear that the new PM was trying to steer clear of the ‘presidential style’ tag that had characterised his predecessor Tony Blair - which quite possibly lost him the vote of confidence from his constituents. Brown proposed limits on the power exercised by the Executive and a more inclusive role from the Parliament following an extension to their overall powers, he went on to suggest a written constitution may be in order to aide the people in accessing and understanding their rights.

In a likely attempt to display a ‘1st among equals’ image from the word go – that is from his acceptance speech outside Ten Downing street, Ben Macintyre of The Times suggested Gordon is being, ‘deliberately and ponderously unflashy, his every word and actions were intended to convey the unBlair, an emphatic Tony-lessness’, and certainly he is not a man of fanfare or jubilance for that matter - with a grave pending doom countenance, which might see the odd smile spread across it at some remote point.

Is anyone convinced? I think maybe not - as we are still asking is Brown the new Blair as we chuckle at one reporters ‘accidental’ slip up when he addressed the new PM as Gordon Blair. For one, Brown has several Presidential style special advisors despite the fact that they are not being Cabinet members and candidly states that he and President Bush are on exactly the same page in terms of Iraq. When asked about the Iron Fist archetype that was Margaret Thatcher, Brown stated: "she is a conviction politician. She stands very clearly for principles. I believe, and I have said before, that I am also a conviction politician." We will have to wait and see.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1996704.ece

http://www.number10.gov.uk/