View Full Version : Non denominational schools?
Cinders392
23-Jun-11, 10:48
I was just wondering if there was any non denominational schools (be it primary, high school etc) in Caithness?
The Happy Humanist
23-Jun-11, 11:27
I think all schools in Caithness are non-denominational. Certainly none of them are affiliated with any one religion, if that is what you mean.
As I understand it, all Scottish schools are obliged to provide Religious and Moral Education within their curriculum and to carry out a certain number of "Religious Observances" throughout the school year and at these times they may invite people of many different belief systems to provide input.
Parents have a right to ask for their child not to participate in these if they feel strongly about it.
The Happy Humanist
23-Jun-11, 11:30
By the way the quotation marks I have used are not to express opinion, I'm just not sure that I have the accurate phrase used by the Council/Education Department here:lol:
Just thought I'd better say that before someone launches into me;)
weezer 316
23-Jun-11, 11:37
This is the single biggest problem this country has. Its utterly ridiculous that there are schools that split children according to their parents religion. As an athiest who used to attend a catholic school I can tell you for free the division of "bible bashers" and "proddys" as they respectfully call each other has led to the problems you see in the central belt today.
They should school together like they do here
This is the single biggest problem this country has. Its utterly ridiculous that there are schools that split children according to their parents religion. As an athiest who used to attend a catholic school I can tell you for free the division of "bible bashers" and "proddys" as they respectfully call each other has led to the problems you see in the central belt today.
They should school together like they do here
Yeah always found that weird, I mean you don't expect a child to make up their mind about politics and go to schools just for that political opinion or for the a child to have the same taste in music as their parents, yet for religion we do. What annoys me even more is that these 'schools' get public funding.
Cinders392
23-Jun-11, 12:06
I have seen other school in other counties state that they are non denominational but not here. I beleive there is a church service on the last day of school at my sons school but I dont want him going. He is too young to understand religion but when he is older he can choose to go. I am an atheist also but my son has no denomination yet
NickInTheNorth
23-Jun-11, 12:10
then tell the school you do not wish your son to attend the church service and the school will make alternative arrangements.
It could be better or worse now; I was born in 84 and went to Pulteney Town Academy then Wick High School, while at primary school I remember a prayer at the start of the day, a prayer before lunch, a weekly service, where the same guy (Wallace if anyone cares) would drone on about something and we would sing hymns. At high school I think we had 3 sort of religious services in 6 years.
I don't think anyone ever took it seriously, but it's still a load of crap we all had to go through that and waste time.
Duncansby
23-Jun-11, 13:57
I mind being annoyed that I had to take RE in 3rd and 4th year which wasn't helped by the fact we spent our first period colouring in a cover for our jotter! I mind asking the teacher if she thought this was a productive use of our time, she wasn't pleased and strangely enough that was the only class I ever got a bad report from. Learning about different religions is fine and is healthy for understanding other peoples believe systems but I didn't learn anything from that class.
Cinders392
23-Jun-11, 16:24
I think learning about all the different religions is an important part of education as it is still a large part of society and has shaped the world we live in. I wasnt brought up any religion but went to sunday schools asking questions, had the lords prayer in school, we celebrated christmas and easter etc (I do not now). My five year old hardly understand his number and letters never mind any of the big questions like where have we come from and where are we going.
Shabbychic
23-Jun-11, 16:53
This is the single biggest problem this country has. Its utterly ridiculous that there are schools that split children according to their parents religion. As an athiest who used to attend a catholic school I can tell you for free the division of "bible bashers" and "proddys" as they respectfully call each other has led to the problems you see in the central belt today.
They should school together like they do here
Another agreement weezer. Splitting up 5 year old friends, and sending them to different schools, is totally wrong.
Right....now....about they Tories....
oldmarine
23-Jun-11, 17:48
We have Charter schools in the USA. They are tax supported, but do not come under the NEA (teachers union). They are becoming very popular in many parts of the country. I have a daughter who teaches Mathematics in a local Charter High School. She stared out with a public tax-payed high school) but switched to a public tax supported Charter high school after one years teaching. Her younger sister has signed up her children for a Charter elementary school starting in the Fall. Charter schools have become controversial due to the complaints of the NEA (National Education Association).
weezer 316
23-Jun-11, 17:56
Another agreement weezer. Splitting up 5 year old friends, and sending them to different schools, is totally wrong.
Right....now....about they Tories....
haha! Right well im changing my opinion now, im now a commited catholic!
Shabbychic
24-Jun-11, 00:43
haha! Right well im changing my opinion now, im now a commited catholic!
See....posts on here can change peope's views.
I am of the firm belief that schools should not be allowed to be of a single religion, by all means teach about the various ones that are observed around the world so that there is an understanding of different beliefs and observances.
Let the child mature and make it's own mind up when they are old enough to descide for themselves.
I've nothing against schools teaching people about religious mythologies, they could also have debates on philosophy, morals, ethics the historical impact of religions etc. The difference with a religious school whether Catholic, Muslim or whatever is that the religion creeps over into other subjects such as science and into the day-to-day activities. They also tend to insult other religions despite the fact they're all equally preposterous.
Duncansby
24-Jun-11, 10:01
I agree and saw that when I was in the States. I was selling education books for 4 months as a summer job and was amazed by the number of people who loved the books but wouldn't buy them when they discovered one book had a picture of a dinosaur. I had a conversation with one man who was convinced that dinosaurs were a huge conspiracy put there by the government. I asked him, if that were true to explain the presence of fossils and dinosaurs bones found across the globe. He looked rather incredulous and replied 'The USA is the most powerful country in the world - they can do anything'.
Cinders392
24-Jun-11, 10:47
I agree and saw that when I was in the States. I was selling education books for 4 months as a summer job and was amazed by the number of people who loved the books but wouldn't buy them when they discovered one book had a picture of a dinosaur. I had a conversation with one man who was convinced that dinosaurs were a huge conspiracy put there by the government. I asked him, if that were true to explain the presence of fossils and dinosaurs bones found across the globe. He looked rather incredulous and replied 'The USA is the most powerful country in the world - they can do anything'.
That is so weird to me but I know what people in the US are like when it comes to religion
I agree and saw that when I was in the States. I was selling education books for 4 months as a summer job and was amazed by the number of people who loved the books but wouldn't buy them when they discovered one book had a picture of a dinosaur. I had a conversation with one man who was convinced that dinosaurs were a huge conspiracy put there by the government. I asked him, if that were true to explain the presence of fossils and dinosaurs bones found across the globe. He looked rather incredulous and replied 'The USA is the most powerful country in the world - they can do anything'.
I've heard a lot of horror stories from friends in the US along those lines, I'm increasingly worried that sort of attitude is starting to develop here. They vary on the craziness scale but some of those people believe that the planet is only 6000-10,000 years old. The average is just a general aversion to science, reason and freedom.
Duncansby
24-Jun-11, 11:10
That's what scares me that these beliefs are defended so fervently against all reason, logic or scientific evidence. One man I spoke too, thought that evolution was a ridiculous concept because 'if evolution existed then why aren't monkey's swinging down from the trees today and turning into humans'. He couldn't (or wouldn't?) see that evolution is something that happens gradually over a vast period of time and that one species doesn't just wake up one day and decide to turn into another!
I've heard that one a few times, my response was: If Christians used to be/came from Jews why are there still Jews, why aren't they converting before our eyes, it's a bit glib but then again so is their interpretation of evolution. They never seem to realise that modern apes and humans came from a common ancestor, apes in their current form didn't exist back then, another thing they never realise is that evolution by human selection has been proven and is all around us with examples such as most food animals, most agricultural crops, dogs, moths, the Russian domesticated silver fox experiment etc.
I had a fundamentalist American Christian in a few on my classes at uni she could never understand that theory doesn't mean made up, we the theory of electro-magnetism, the theory gravity etc yet they aren't proposing we teach intelligent falling.
I think Religion should be kept out of all schools and the time saved should be used on something more practical. If the kids or their Parents want to learn about Religion then they can go to church/Mosque/synagogue,etc, in their own time !!!!
C3.....;)
I agree and saw that when I was in the States. I was selling education books for 4 months as a summer job and was amazed by the number of people who loved the books but wouldn't buy them when they discovered one book had a picture of a dinosaur. I had a conversation with one man who was convinced that dinosaurs were a huge conspiracy put there by the government. I asked him, if that were true to explain the presence of fossils and dinosaurs bones found across the globe. He looked rather incredulous and replied 'The USA is the most powerful country in the world - they can do anything'.
That is scary; especially as many people believe it....
weezer 316
24-Jun-11, 13:11
I think Religion should be kept out of all schools and the time saved should be used on something more practical. If the kids or their Parents want to learn about Religion then they can go to church/Mosque/synagogue,etc, in their own time !!!!
C3.....;)
Im almost ashamed to say this but I agree entirely. Appears there is a braincell there beneath the mountain of phobias and bias'
oldmarine
24-Jun-11, 15:08
I've heard that one a few times, my response was: If Christians used to be/came from Jews why are there still Jews, why aren't they converting before our eyes, it's a bit glib but then again so is their interpretation of evolution. They never seem to realise that modern apes and humans came from a common ancestor, apes in their current form didn't exist back then, another thing they never realise is that evolution by human selection has been proven and is all around us with examples such as most food animals, most agricultural crops, dogs, moths, the Russian domesticated silver fox experiment etc.
I had a fundamentalist American Christian in a few on my classes at uni she could never understand that theory doesn't mean made up, we the theory of electro-magnetism, the theory gravity etc yet they aren't proposing we teach intelligent falling.
I have never seen you. Do you believe you look like an Ape? Evolutionists believe that man descended from an ape, but I certainly don't want to make that claim. Do you?
weezer 316
24-Jun-11, 15:15
marine,
Of course we did! Throwing the genetic evidence out the window (which it utterly overwhelming) we so closley resemble apes its untrue! The actions of chimp/orangutan/gorilla etc and human babies is so similar that is they weren't related it would have to rank as the biggest coincidence of all time!
We arent special, stop trying to pretent we are.
Duncansby
24-Jun-11, 15:21
They never seem to realise that modern apes and humans came from a common ancestor, apes in their current form didn't exist back then
There was an interesting docu/drama on BBC1 last night Planet of the Apeman: Battle for Earth (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0124y9x). It was generally well done, if a bit gory in it's depiction of life but then that would undoubtedly have been the reality. Although the zeal with which one of the academics demonstrated the effectiveness of the hunting weapons used by homo erectus and homo sapiens on a pig carcass was a bit much. But then maybe I'm just a bit squeamish!
I have never seen you. Do you believe you look like an Ape? Evolutionists believe that man descended from an ape, but I certainly don't want to make that claim. Do you?
I do believe that, or rather that's what all the evidence seems to indicate - that is that humans and modern day primates are descendant from a common ancestor most likely ape like in appearence and you'd be suprised at how different the beginning and end can look with gradual changes over time.
While superficially humans don't look like apes there's a lot evidence under the skin. As with dogs a Chiwawa doesn't really look like a St. Bernard and neither really look like ancient wolves.
There are a ton of these with higher production values, but I've been watching Cosmos again recently so here's Carl Sagan explaining evolution (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE9dEAx5Sgw). (primates and and great apes near the end)
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