End of Local Education Authorities

[davidemmerson]

London Boy,

I read through what you had wrote and agreed with you on certain points. However, I think it is wrong to assume that religion is the cause of all the problems you stated.

Religion solves nothing. It only creatre problems, segregation and separatism. And is the root of most of the problems in the world today. And has been for over 2000 years!

I would put that down to religious extremism. Which, lets face it, occurs in all branches of all religion whether it be Christianity, Islam etc. I myself am a Christian but don't think that all schools should be taught with a religious slant as such. In that I mean not just teaching everything from a religious angle. Does that make sense? The trouble is, the minority give the majority a bad name. I've been a Christian for a while, and it hasn't affected me in a bad way yet!

All religions should be banned (The Soviets had the right idea).
All schools should be state financed secular schools.
Believing in a religion should be viewed as no different to any other interest or hobby.

Do you mean ban religion from school? Or in general? If it is the latter then that is an arrogant statement to make. How does me believing in God affect you? It doesn't. I agree that state schools shouldn't have a relgious slant as such, yet on the other hand I went to a Church of England school up until year 3 and it was just like any other school. Except that grace was said at lunch and we said a prayer at assembely. But when your a kid you don't think about those things to deeply. You just want to wolf your food and get out and play football.

Relgion is a hobby as such, you are right. I ENJOY being a Christian. That is honest. Being a Christian makes me different in some aspects but I still like to think of myslef as a normal guy. But it is not a passing interest, it is a way of life.

And in the 21st century should have no influence at all on the lives of people who do not believe in ancient superstitious cults from the Middle East, Asia and the Orient.

I don't view Christianity as a cult at all. Cult members often isolate themselves from friends, family, and even society in general. Christianity is embracing and not at all like cults such as Scientology. But religion does have an impact on 21st Century life. Look at our legal system and the 10 Commandments, plenty of comparison there. Yes, they were written religion was a mjor factor in life but even now they haven't changed.

Christianity teaches you to lead a good and just way of life. What is wrong with that? Religion DOES have a place in modern society whether you like it or not. I agree that seperation is not a good idea but banning religion is not good either.

I want to say more but can't formulate the sentences in my head. Maybe I'll try tomorrow.

David

[anglo-saxon]

It's not the religious segregation that I disagree with, its the cultural one.

The original poster stated that Moslem kids need "culture, language, and faith...".

Baloney!

Faith? Sure, if that's what cranks their handle. But the language and culture of any children in the UK must be the language and culture of the UK, not some imported notion. THAT, is where the Moslems have it dead wrong. They are uncompromising in their approach and openly state that they don't want to "fit in". That is why they want their kids in Moslem schools, to indoctrinate them in the language and culture, as well as the faith. It's not on! And certainly must NEVER be publicly funded!

I agree with Sully...You don't like it where you are?...SOD OFF THEN!

It will all end in tears....billions of them!

[harry hackedoff]

Look.
I find the fact that you all post in English to be extremely discriminatory.

You discriminate against people `oo can onee speek Scouse like, nowarramean, lar. Fuggin cushdee like.
No wonder Fodd has thinned out
I`m away now, to my philosophy 101 class, where we will debate the contention that Ringo was actually a shite drummer and not fit to wipe Ginger Bakers` arse.

[Sarastro]

We are living in an English speaking country and English is an international language, therefore, we want our children to learn and be well versed in standard English and at the same time well versed in Arabic, Urdu and Arabic languages.

Curious phrasing. You are not just living in 'an English speaking country', you are living in England.

Faith? Sure, if that's what cranks their handle. But the language and culture of any children in the UK must be the language and culture of the UK, not some imported notion. THAT, is where the Moslems have it dead wrong. They are uncompromising in their approach and openly state that they don't want to "fit in". That is why they want their kids in Moslem schools, to indoctrinate them in the language and culture, as well as the faith. It's not on! And certainly must NEVER be publicly funded!

All fair enough, apart from grouping all 'the Moslems' together. The one thing that western countries, governments and populace seem to chronically misunderstand is the current ideological conflict going on in the Islamic world, not between us'n'them, but between Muslims. One of the reasons Al Qaeda is so successful in franchising itself is that it offers a populist, modern version of Islamic practice that stamps all over traditional, hierarchical versions. Sunni vs Shia isn't even remotely the end of Islamic ideological differences; most radical theological change in Islam has in fact come from the Afghan/Pashtu area in Asia, not from the MidEast. Islam at the moment is arguably in the midst of something like the Christian Reformation in the 16th century. This is all intensified when immigrants from all these different traditions come together in one western country; and to add to it, there is an issue with 2nd & 3rd generation young Muslims in the west questioning the way their parents do things, and looking for their own modern, partially westernised version of Islam.

And the response of western governments to this? Select a few 'community leaders' to represent Muslims in the country, and pretend like they are all one homogenous group. Might as well say: well, we have a problem with ASBO teengagers in Britain, so we'll select Tony Blair to represent them, because he's white and is the parent of a teenager. He'll know what to do! The idea that traditionalist clerics can persuade young Muslims away from extremism is utterly false; they are precisely one of the things that Muslim youth is reacting against. It's like trying to persuade a runaway child to come home by using the parent they were running away from in the first place.

Instead of treating all Muslims as the same and trying to ally with old farts who claim they are representative of 'real' Muslim opinion (ie a Daily Mail version of cultural segregation), we should be looking for & encouraging those Muslim groups who actually espouse similar values to ours, and ally with them. Moreover, we should recognise & encourage the diversity of Muslim opinion, both because it is meant to be something we value in a liberal democracy, and because it lessens the minority imposition of old world cultural traditions (like, I suspect, sidi Iftikhar here), which both cause disaffection among Muslim youth, and prevent a moderate, modern form of Islam emerging in the west.

[Pilgrim Norway]

Ah ! I hope not . . . I was enjoying it . . .

Now then - in Gateshead, Bensham area, we also practiced a lot -

We were given the ability to count - enough to check our pay -
and we were taught to write - enough to sign for our pay -

My left hand was also tied behind my back - as was the custom -
I still cut my nails with my right hand - then after 49,50 I change hands.

No-one could say that Geordies are not taught "other languages" of the
current, more widely spoken variety.

No-one could maintain that Geordie is not a religion either -
the worship of ' the dog ' is still widespread . . . .

And - as for lay teachers - I went all the way through school without ever
experiencing a decent lay.

We here in Norway have lately been informed that our tax money has
been spent in supporting 'Koran Schools' in Pakistan - we are not
overly overjoyed at this news . . . and the 'Schools' seem to be training
pits for terrorists anyway - as proved !

Good Muslims should stay in Muslimia and wait for the arrival of better
times - let us look after the better times we've fought and died for.

GREAT Britain has always been multi cultured and we've sometimes
thrived on it and sometimes burnt each other at the stake for our
freedom of speech and religion . . .

A hodgepodge of conglomerate faiths.....

Which can be proved by a popular song of the War to End All Wars -
( that was WW1 for those who are young and tender of years )

"There were RC's Parsees, Lebanese and Portuguese, Siamese,
Japanese and some of the Infantry's -
Grenadiers, Fusiliers the Irish Guards and Engineers - The Old Faithful
Durhams and Northumberland Fusiliers - etc, etc etc,,,,, "

For some reason whenever we had prayers the RC's were 'excused' and waited outside with a burn... almost converted some of us . ...owt for a fag

I went to confirmation classes and was confirmed in Exeter Cathedral -
and it had nothing to do with avoiding slit trench exercises on Dartmoor.

Anyway - the religion in England was,among others, Church of England -
the Laws are British - Canterbury will botch both. Bleeding experts.