What to do about Christening & Schooling?

[hooa]

Mainstream Catholic Schools know that the spotlight is on them and they are very, very careful not to do anything that could show them in a bad light ... Principles of Catholic Schools run it as a business and The Parish Priest is pretty much just there as a token ... You can probably rest assured that the last thing Catholic Primary schools need is bad publicity ...

Dont worry ... They know you're watching ...

[Lord Blackadder]

I went to Catholic school - both primary and secondary - and came out the other end okay.

To be honest, I never noticed a fundamentalist approach at school - RE was just another lesson, and we were taught about all religious world views, not just Catholicism. In science we were taught evolution, not creationism, and I honestly can't remember Jesus being mentioned that much at all outside of RE, apart from the half-a-dozen occasions we went to church during the year.

I don't think a Catholic school education does any real damage per se, and probably creates more atheists than not (several of my high school friends are now ardent atheists). The question really comes down to whether you want your money to go to the Catholic Church or not. Considering that private schools are run like a business these days, a little investigation into the financial runnings of the school probably won't hurt. In the end, it comes to compromise, which is required even more in a "mixed" marriage.

[Xeno]

My wife went to a catholic school and had no interest in subjecting our children to the same authoritarian rule-bound behaviour, fundamental ignorance and lack of questioning behind the teaching. I read Hooa but do not accept the glossiness unless there was some very serious reason why that school was less bad than other options.

We agree with ABTF that a non-selective school is preferable and with Sieveboy that the key is your own active involvement with your child's education.

Questions I would also ask though, are how close is the next school and what playmates do you want your child to find? There has to be strong reason to send your child to a woo school, not allowing it as equal or default. Tradition does not cut with me either but the explanation of that has more to do with secondary schools.

As for christening, our position would be simply say no, and we did not do it. That was a generation ago based on independent thinking from nearly a generation before that, so I am a little unsympathetic with conformist views on the topic today.

[Flyingphil172]

Originally Posted by hooa

Thats absolutely ridiculous ... Why would you do that? ... Would you show her statistics of how many fathers sexually abuse their own children? ... C'mon ... This is fear mongering and completely unreasonable...

Normally when your trying to convince someone NOT to do something (in this case send a child to a Catholic school), you give them a reason why (in this case the Catholics extensive history of abusing children).


What does stats on Fathers abusing their own children have to do with anything? You don't get to choose your own father. You do however get a choice of schools. Personally I would choose one that isn't run by a institution known to employ and harbour pedophiles.

[wolty]

Originally Posted by Flyingphil172

Normally when your trying to convince someone NOT to do something (in this case send a child to a Catholic school), you give them a reason why (in this case the Catholics extensive history of abusing children).


What does stats on Fathers abusing their own children have to do with anything? You don't get to choose your own father. You do however get a choice of schools. Personally I would choose one that isn't run by a bunch of pedophiles.

Mod Note.
I want to just jump in here because I read what Hooa had read, which was misunderstanding you, Phil.

From what I understand, Hooa thought you meant to mention it to the child, not the mother. Now you have cleared that up, it is time to move on. A little clearer would have been good.

Time to move on, both of you.

Edit, now I have re-read it again, I am not sure what the issue is.
Maybe the better advice to FSM would have been to explain concerns in that area if he had any, not going straight to the inflation of the issue.

[wolty]

Originally Posted by Flyingphil172

You do however get a choice of schools. Personally I would choose one that isn't run by a bunch of pedophiles.

And this isn't helping. Is the school run by pedophiles? That is a big statement.

[Flyingphil172]

Originally Posted by wolty

And this isn't helping. Is the school run by pedophiles? That is a big statement.

Apologys, it was poor wording. I meant the catholic institution as a whole not a individual catholic school. Now edited.

The Catholics history of child abuse (and subsequent cover ups) is a concern I thought was worth raising.

[Sir Patrick Crocodile]

I think that, if one looks hard enough, one can also find similar instances of abuse and covering-up occurring in state schools.

[Sir Patrick Crocodile]

You say things better than I can ever think of Black - IMO school itself is a risk; would one just not enrol their kids to any school just because of that risk?

[Aldaron]

I think your child will be fine at a RCC school. As long as you make sure you teach him/her how to think critically, the nonsense isn't going to sink in - what you do is far more important.

Our son starts Year 9 this year. He went to public school for his primary education, but unfortunately the public schools in our area leave a lot to be desired, especially with regard to bullying and the like. A local religious school (fairly "cruisy" Christianity - Anglican/Uniting Church run) was recommended by an atheist friend, and we looked into it.

We eventually sent him to it - not for the religious side, obviously - but because it had excellent programs in the areas he and we were interested in. Yes, they have 'Christian Ed' classes, but they tend to be more based on ethics than anything else. Discussions on all manner of issues, with the position taken on abortion (for example) that each person should decide for themselves if it's right or wrong. The position taken on homosexuality, and taught to the kids, is that victimisation of anyone is wrong. *shrug* Considering that's precisely what we've taught him all his life, I don't see a problem.

He has a giggle about the services they go to, and he's never been harassed by any teacher about his atheism - about which he's open. Occasionally another kid will have a go at him, but his home-room teacher this year presented him with class award in recognition of his kindess and compassion to others.

As to the paedophile aspect; well, I don't think it's a problem for a couple of reasons.

1) I came up through the Catholic school system, and spent a lot of time with brothers and priests who had ample opportunity if they wanted - never happened. In fact, the only hint at it was from a lay sports teacher who everyone know not to be alone with. I'm not saying there aren't priests who are paedophiles, and I'd probably even go with them being over-represented, but seriously, people have to get over this image of every priest being a leering predator. The vast majority are decent blokes in most ways - just with bizarre beliefs.

2) Your child is in no more danger at a Catholic school than at an ordinary school where he or she might be alone with a male teacher. You just have to be vigilant as to who the child is left with.

3) The overwhelming majority of Catholic schools these days are completely staffed with lay teachers and staff. The days of the brothers, nuns and priests running the day-to-day operations of the school are long gone.

If there's an excellent public school around, go there by all means. But don't let ideology get in the way of a good education for your kid. If you don't take the religion seriously, it will be no different to Santa or the Tooth Fairy - something funny for the kids when they're little, to be shrugged off easily when they're older.