Muslim/Church Schools

[John Simkin]

The Conservative education spokesman recently made a speech to the Foreign Policy Centre where he outlined his ideas on how to use schools to tackle terrorism. He advocates that children from different religious and social backgrounds should take part in pupil exchanges, with teenagers visiting neighbouring schools to improve social cohesion.

It seems to me that the main way we could achieve this social cohesion was for children from different cultures to mix in school. This is not currently possible because of the policy of having schools based on religion. This is a policy that has had a terrible long-term impact in Northern Ireland. Although this is clear to all politicians, they are too afraid of upsetting powerful pressure groups to change their policy on this issue.

[Guest]

It seems to me that the main way we could achieve this social cohesion was for children from different cultures to mix in school. This is not currently possible because of the policy of having schools based on religion. This is a policy that has had a terrible long-term impact in Northern Ireland. Although this is clear to all politicians, they are too afraid of upsetting powerful pressure groups to change their policy on this issue.

I couldn't agree more. The best way to secure a more rational and peaceful world is to educate all children in secular comprehensive schools. Unfortuntately no such school yet exists in the UK.

[Gregory Carlin]

The Conservative education spokesman recently made a speech to the Foreign Policy Centre where he outlined his ideas on how to use schools to tackle terrorism. He advocates that children from different religious and social backgrounds should take part in pupil exchanges, with teenagers visiting neighbouring schools to improve social cohesion.

It seems to me that the main way we could achieve this social cohesion was for children from different cultures to mix in school. This is not currently possible because of the policy of having schools based on religion. This is a policy that has had a terrible long-term impact in Northern Ireland. Although this is clear to all politicians, they are too afraid of upsetting powerful pressure groups to change their policy on this issue.

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A key historical part of Catholics demonstrably wanting little to do with the Northern State was separate schooling. The Department of Education was set up in 1921 and in 1964 the first Northern Ireland Prime Minister visited a Catholic school. What else do you need to know?

Integrated schooling is not going to happen in Northern Ireland to any developed extent. The sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation are organized in schools. Catholics do not want teachers giving lessons on how to put condoms on a banana or talking about the mechanics of anal sex.

Edited August 31, 2005 by Gregory Carlin

[Gregory Carlin]

It seems to me that the main way we could achieve this social cohesion was for children from different cultures to mix in school. This is not currently possible because of the policy of having schools based on religion. This is a policy that has had a terrible long-term impact in Northern Ireland. Although this is clear to all politicians, they are too afraid of upsetting powerful pressure groups to change their policy on this issue.

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I couldn't agree more. The best way to secure a more rational and peaceful world is to educate all children in secular comprehensive schools. Unfortuntately no such school yet exists in the UK.

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Some French children do not get a school education because of the aggressively secular regime in the French Republic.

Edited August 31, 2005 by Gregory Carlin