Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

trotsky

(49,533 posts)
Thu May 4, 2017, 09:38 AM May 2017

Catholic schools and social segregation

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/may/03/catholic-schools-and-social-segregation

The Roman Catholic archbishop of Liverpool, Malcolm McMahon, appears more than a little defensive in his interview with Peter Wilby, whose questions about Catholic school admissions, far from being “based on inaccurate information”, were precisely the right ones (Grammars and free schools now on the hymn sheet, 2 May). The Catholic Education Service has long conceded that its schools must necessarily be religiously segregated, but it ignores the very clear evidence that they are socio-economically segregated too.

Research conducted by the Fair Admissions Campaign using official government data found that Catholic schools admit 28% fewer children eligible for free school meals than they should given their local areas, while the Sutton Trust reported earlier this year that “faith” schools are “three times as socially selective compared with their catchment area than non-faith schools”. Rather than defending this appalling record of disproportionately turning away poorer children at the gate, wouldn’t the archbishop be better off doing something about it?

Rachel Taggart-Ryan
Fair Admissions Campaign

--------------

Malcolm McMahon, who chairs the Catholic Education Service, has views on the role and ethos of Catholic schools that should trouble us all. When asked whether some pupils at Catholic schools have same-sex parents, he responds: “Why would same-sex parents want to send their children to a Catholic school?” If the views of the archbishop are those espoused by his schools, why indeed?

This is a national scandal – a man responsible for overseeing the education of more than 800,000 children admitting that the 2,000 publicly funded schools in his charge are not necessarily appropriate for same-sex parents and their children. The archbishop claims that Catholic schools would nonetheless treat “them” with respect, but one wonders how much respect these schools can really be showing to people whose existence is ignored in everyday teaching or whose sexuality is described as sinful. The government wants to increase the number of such schools in England. In truth, it should have no hand in funding any of them.

Jay Harman
British Humanist Association
2 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Catholic schools and social segregation (Original Post) trotsky May 2017 OP
A lot of this likely has to do with not being able to provide an education. Volstagg May 2017 #1
The post about UK schools. IDEA is a US statute. rug May 2017 #2
 

Volstagg

(233 posts)
1. A lot of this likely has to do with not being able to provide an education.
Thu May 4, 2017, 10:54 AM
May 2017

Private schools do not take IDEA students because they cannot provide the necessary support and don't want to pay for those teachers. Though I would think they would want low-income students so they can get the federal funding that goes along with it.

Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Religion»Catholic schools and soci...