Should Religious Rituals Be Banned In Schools?

[naomi24]

//The headteacher of a school facing legal action over a ban on prayer rituals has defended the policy, arguing that it was vital in order to “maintain a successful learning environment where children of all races and religion can thrive”.

The case against Michaela community school in Brent, north-west London, which has been the subject of a two-day hearing at the high court in London this week, has been brought by one of its Muslim pupils, who claims the ban is discriminatory and is seeking to have it overturned.

 

Coppel said the prayer sessions led to growing segregation between non-Muslim and Muslim pupils in the playground, and that a number of Muslim children were observed by teachers applying peer pressure to other Muslim children, encouraging them to be more observant.

In one alleged incident described to the court, a child who had never previously worn a headscarf was pressured to wear one. A Muslim girl was said to have dropped out of the school choir after she was told by other Muslim children that it was haram (forbidden), while a number of other children were told they were “bad Muslims” for not praying and had begun to pray, according to written arguments before the court.//

 

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/jan/17/london-headteacher-defends-school-prayer-ban-high-court

[andres]

Definitely be banned.

[naomi24]

As per the title, Redhelen.  The article relates to Islam, but if you would like to discuss the rituals of any other religion that take place in our schools, please feel free.

[THECORBYLOON]

"Collective worship in county schools and equivalent grant-maintained schools must be wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character, though not distinctive of any particular Christian denomination"

Is daily, collective (broadly) Christian worship acceptable?

[Redhelen72]

I don't believe that one religion should be place higher than another so either ban them all or none from schools.

[youngmafbog]

No religion should be taught in a State school.  Religious knowledge should be taught but as a subject that looks at religion not any particular one.  Problem is one religion in particular would probably object about thiers being discussed objectively.

Faith schools should be allowed as it is freedom of choice, just as private education and home schooling should be allowed. But within the law of course, so no indoctrination or hatred.

[youngmafbog]

//I don't believe that one religion should be place higher than another//

Haha, try telling that to religious leaders.  Of any demomination.

[sp1814]

All religious observance should be banned in state schools (Islam, CofE, Judiasm, Catholism).

School is a place of learning, not praying.

If parents want their kids to be indoctrinated into a particular faith, then they can send them to a faith school.

According to the report, this is one of the best performing schools in the country. Sincerely hope that this can be adjudcated sensibly.

[sp1814]

Redhelen

The title of the thread is:

Should Religious Rituals Be Banned In Schools?

not:

Should Islamic Religious Rituals Be Banned In Schools?

Therefore your request for clarification at 11.59am was 100% valid.

[ToraToraTora]

Religion should be banned from schools full stop.  By all means study it as a curiosity of the past in history.

[Redhelen72]

Thank you SP

[dave50]

Because the vast majority of Muslims have brown skin, racism inevitably comes in to play in these disputes and they know that this will give them the winning hand.

[sp1814]

dave50

 

That's reductive.

[naomi24]

SP, 14.40.  What's that all about?  RedHelen's question was answered adequately.  

 

[naomi24]

Dave, I imagine that in a school in that area a lot of students have brown skin albeit they adhere to religions other than Islam.  I don't believe this is racism at play but rather Muslims demanding special treatment - again.

[fender62]

elephant in the room, where ever muslims settle in the west bring problems it would seem, and it's only getting worse, parents want schools to galvanise there faith, it causes division and intimidates other pupils of the same faith to adhere, it might be school where they can get away from it, so i think religious practice should be banned.

[ladybirder]

Surely it would solve the problem.  How could it not?

[Untitled]

"Coppel said the head, who founded Michaela in 2014, was dedicated to promoting social cohesion in the school. To that end, pupils eat at a “family lunch”, food is vegetarian so that it is acceptable to everyone regardless of faith, and teachers supervise “guided” socialisation in the playground to ensure that groups of children mix"

it sounds like an excellent school. the parents should be grateful their children are getting an education like that... most people are not so lucky.

they should uphold the ban. sounds like it was introduced for a good reason.

[andy-hughes]

naomi - // I don't believe this is racism at play but rather Muslims demanding special treatment - again. //

I would suggest that racism is clearly not in play on the part of the school - their issue is with the special treamtent being demanded, against policy, rather than the school discriminating on the basis of ethnicity.

What would concern me is the very real prospect that the court will side with the family, rather than be perceived, however inaccurately, as being racist themselves.

And I am sure that the family will be delighted to use this knee-jerk wokeism to their advantage in arguing their case, which, is to any reasonable assessment, entirely devoid of merit.

[jno]

as long as schools don't stop for Christmas and Easter holidays, just work through like good atheists.

[THECORBYLOON]

ANDY, "The parents were aware of the school policy in regard to religious observance before enrolling their child."

When did their daughter first go to that school?