I agree with Lizzie. I totally believe that high quality education should be available to all! If only CofE or Catholic schools/ Grammar schools are capable of giving high quality education then our education system is flawed!!
Yes I'm afraid I'm of that school of thought that is indeed wrong. The intention of the christening is not what it should be! I don't like the way some people get married in a church for 'the photos ops' very wrong! I'm not even religious so I'm not offended due to my faith, I just don't think it's right!
So those who have high morals - say you live in an area where the local comprehensive is rubbish- producing rubbish results year on year,full of unruly kids but you had another school which was much better BUT your not religious ....you would send your children to the not so good school simply to stick to your morals??? or would you christen them and perhaps let them make up their own mind about religion when they got to school??
I would move house before I had my child christened!!! I would not have a priest, say a bunch of religious stuff, renounce the devil, involve people to be godparents yata yata yata for a better school, its a pantomime for what to a lot of people is a very important religious ceremony with meaning!!!
I moved house to make sure ds got to go to a better school, however, I would have them christened to get into a better school. If wanting better for my children makes me a terrible, irresponsible and immoral parent then prepare the stocks and the public humiliation cos I stand guilty of all of the above. I don't think anyone has the right to pass judgement on anyones decision as a parent, all the op was wanting to know is if you would do it and I don't think it warrants such hostility. She clearly wants the best for her children, as do we all, and we will all go to different lengths to achieve it, just cos one person might do something you wouldn't does not mean they are immoral or irresponsible!
Couldn't agree more Lizzie! Piggypops, my husband went to a catholic school and his parents had to go to church with them every sunday for over 10 years to get them in and keep them in school. They were forced to go to church even though MIL openly admits it was the biggest waste of 10 years. That to me is a big lie my husband had to tell. That to me is not nonsense, it's about morality. I know lots of people do it and don't have a problem with it's not something I could do.
All the schools in my area are faith schools there is no other option and it bugs me majorly. Our baby will go to the nearest school but I will NOT have them christened them to get them in there. I agree with little lyns, if the schools were so bad i'd move. Having principals is more important to me and that's what i'd hope for my child.
I think it's a little disrespectful to people who genuinely have faith. Call me old fashioned but I believe that you should get christened because you believe it God and want to raise your child a Christian!
Wow just read this thread, purely out of curiosity and each time I see this kind of thread it makes me sad, I think religion can really bring out some powerful opinions. I am Roman Catholic as all of my family are, in the RC schools my eldest son has been to (Primary now Secondary)they had lots of different faiths, if everyone justs sticks by what they believe, and dont pretend each of the different religion kids have the same chance, I know in our RC schools they have to have a certain percentage of different religion kids anyway, so at some point others would win out over catholic kids anyway to make up the difference.
We all just have to take a step back sometimes and accept opinions are opinions and therefore not wrong. They are not fact. We all only have to live with our choices, live and let live I say.
Apparently the Catholic Schools in our area are brilliant.
I'm not Christening my boys Catholic though... and I can't afford to move.
So if they don't get into the first choice school, they go to another local one and we apply for them to move later.
I'm Christened CofE, as is my OH and we are not religious. I don't see the point in having a Church marriage as I think it would be a bit disrespectful to "real believers"!
I think the same should apply to schooling.
I know moving house isn't an option to all, but there are other options available, before jumping into forcing a religion on your child.
If you intend on letting your child choose, then best not to Christen/Baptise/etc at all surely? xx
Just to add that it isn't the only reason my ds's will/would be christened, I'm not a huge believer but do believe to an extent. But I still disagree with some of the hostile responses and don't really think
there is any need for them as points could have been made in a more civil fashion. I can see why some people may not be comfortable with having their child christened for this reason but for them who would it does not make them any less a caring or loving parent.
I don't think anyone has said anyone anyone doesn't love or care for their children. People have just expressed opinions which is of course the whole point of a forum even though we don't all agree x
I can see that wanting the best form of education for your child is caring.... I just don't think choosing a child's religion is the way forward.
Clearly the education system needs to be changed if parents feel that their only choice is Christening a child for the purpose of a place in a school. xx
the reason these school are often better than the local comp is that they select pupils. grammar school pupils have passed an entrance exam, so those schools shold be getting 100%*-c or there is something very wrong. and chuch schools select chldren from faith backgrounds with families that have attended church and the schools often have a history, or from families that care enough to lie!
education will never be equal as children and their families are so very different. some children come from families that value education and their parents will do what they can to get their children into the best school, and some children come from familes who view school as a baby sitting service and are in despair when the schools are shut!
in response to sammi's last post, i personally believe it's better to be brought with a faith than without one. your child can opt out later, but it's much more difficult for them to opt in later.
Hi there ....can i just say that i cant see what having a church background has to do with being bright/clever or behaving ....All i was saying that if the non church school was utter crap but the church school on the off chance had better results then a lot of parents would send their children there if they could eh ....oh and also its hardly too late for them to opt in at 4 is it? Im not religious and neither is my ds but if he wants to believe and go to church then thats fine by me and id take him xxx
Yea i see that point but i dont think it necessaraly (sp!) is to do with being a church or non church school i think all schools have the same sort of expectations for behavior its just some parents dont and sometimes we as parents cant control that all the time. anyhoo thats a whole different arguement unruly children
I don't really agree that it would be harder to opt into Church at an older age, when the child is informed more on different religions and what is involved in "faith"... aren't religions welcoming people into their communities, no matter the age?
I have been a bit ignorant to this side of the education system really... I always thought the schools shouldn't select kids based on their religion these days.
The cultural diversity in this country is growing and it isn't really fair on the next generation to be so closed.
Some kids shine at school, no matter what their background, or parent's views are on education and religion are. (I know not all!!)
But making parents feel like the need to choose a religion on behalf of their child is unfair on both really.
I won't Christen my boys, but if they want to partake in church, I will gladly take them and help them with any learning. xx
Hypothetically, if the two local comprehensives were a 'sink' school or a Muslim school, who would have their children convert to Islam to get them a place?
i still thik it's a bit neive to think removng grammar schools and faith schools would result in equal educatio for all. of corse it wouldnt. catchment area is one of the biggest factors n a failing or successful school. if the majorty of parents dont care about education or behaviour, the school can oly do so much.
Replies
Just a question to throw out
All the schools in my area are faith schools there is no other option and it bugs me majorly. Our baby will go to the nearest school but I will NOT have them christened them to get them in there. I agree with little lyns, if the schools were so bad i'd move. Having principals is more important to me and that's what i'd hope for my child.
I think it's a little disrespectful to people who genuinely have faith. Call me old fashioned but I believe that you should get christened because you believe it God and want to raise your child a Christian!
We all just have to take a step back sometimes and accept opinions are opinions and therefore not wrong. They are not fact. We all only have to live with our choices, live and let live I say.
I'm not Christening my boys Catholic though... and I can't afford to move.
So if they don't get into the first choice school, they go to another local one and we apply for them to move later.
I'm Christened CofE, as is my OH and we are not religious. I don't see the point in having a Church marriage as I think it would be a bit disrespectful to "real believers"!
I think the same should apply to schooling.
I know moving house isn't an option to all, but there are other options available, before jumping into forcing a religion on your child.
If you intend on letting your child choose, then best not to Christen/Baptise/etc at all surely? xx
there is any need for them as points could have been made in a more civil fashion. I can see why some people may not be comfortable with having their child christened for this reason but for them who would it does not make them any less a caring or loving parent.
Clearly the education system needs to be changed if parents feel that their only choice is Christening a child for the purpose of a place in a school. xx
education will never be equal as children and their families are so very different. some children come from families that value education and their parents will do what they can to get their children into the best school, and some children come from familes who view school as a baby sitting service and are in despair when the schools are shut!
I have been a bit ignorant to this side of the education system really... I always thought the schools shouldn't select kids based on their religion these days.
The cultural diversity in this country is growing and it isn't really fair on the next generation to be so closed.
Some kids shine at school, no matter what their background, or parent's views are on education and religion are. (I know not all!!)
But making parents feel like the need to choose a religion on behalf of their child is unfair on both really.
I won't Christen my boys, but if they want to partake in church, I will gladly take them and help them with any learning. xx
i still thik it's a bit neive to think removng grammar schools and faith schools would result in equal educatio for all. of corse it wouldnt. catchment area is one of the biggest factors n a failing or successful school. if the majorty of parents dont care about education or behaviour, the school can oly do so much.