Once again it's been a long time since my last post, I think this is, at least for the present going to be the new normal, irregular posts when I can manage them. I'll do what I can but no promises. Anyway while a lot has happened recently including a few highlights such as "Call Me Dave" doing a runner I'm going to look at one specific thing today because it's a subject that pushes a lot of my angry buttons. Now I'm of the opinion that our new Heroic and Beloved Leader T May threw the schools thing into the public eye simply to distract from the complete and upper disaster that has been the governments preparations for Brexit. Cameron walked us into a disaster because he was putting his own power first and long term consequences last, so he gave us a referendum on an ill defined future then used fear and hatred (along with every one else) to drive people to vote for an extremely nebulous event that will be twisted and used to (excuse my language here), will be used to fuck over the vast majority of the population even more than the Cameron / Osborne Austerity policy did. Anyway, the distraction, schools. Specifically Grammar schools coming back and a small note tucked away that religious schools would no longer be bound by the requirement that they take in 50% or more of pupils who are not of the religion espoused by the school. Our Media have jumped on the offered bone and talking heads are busy talking the usual crap but 100% religious schools now being legal, that one has passed by with a minimum of fuss. We have, as a nation and as the world, worked hard to remove discrimination based on skin colour, gender, ethnic origin, sexual choice and many other reasons, we haven't beaten all discrimination but we work at it and when it does resurface from time to time we generally oppose it. But suddenly we have a change in the law that actually allows discrimination on religious grounds, as long as its children being discriminated for or against. |
Yep, long term consequences, a knee jerk Tory policy that achieves some short term result but brings much worse long term problems. Where have I seen that before, Oh Right, all the Bloody Time ! So what are the long term problems going to be, what are the problems of taking children from religious families (needed to get in to the religious schools) and leaving them eight hours a day, five days a week in an environment that pushes a single religion while at the same time isolating those children from contact with other cultures, religions and children who aren't religious. This is a purpose made breeding pit for discrimination, radicalisation and hatred. It's not just Muslim schools that get caught by Channel 4 teaching children that non believers will burn in hell and that Gays should die. But only the Islamic ones make the news. Still it happens in other religions, in fact it happens anywhere that is allowed and able to prevent anyone who is not one of the faithful from attending, where discrimination and hatred in the name of a single faith and of a single imaginary friend in the sky goes unchallenged because all of the students and teachers are believers. |
Grammar schools, 100% religious schools. I see these as yet more signs that our caring government and big society doesn't give a flying fuck about the education of all children, only of those who come from the right families. I suspect that Glorious Leader May will be receiving a lot of political support from religious groups and from the people who like Grammar schools for this little policy change. It gives them what they want, total control, and when combined with academy chains it takes huge numbers of our next generation away from the protection of the state and puts them into the hands of religions and corporations who have a vested interest in a compliant, controllable population with just enough education to work in the offices or factories. The three Abrahamic religions are a blight on civilisation. They are the enemy of reason, logic and all too often the enemy of democracy and freedom. In the 21st century we, as an advanced nation should be doing everything we can to move past the primitive superstitions of the dark ages, and yet here we are, making it not only legal but also easy for those same religions to indoctrinate the next generation with the same hatred, fear and discrimination that the current generation of religious fanatics peddle. Hold whatever religion you want as long as it does no harm to others and is kept to the privacy of your head and home. Religious schools should not be acceptable in the 21st century, should not be acceptable in any nation that considers itself Secular and should not be acceptable anywhere that calls itself civilised. But I won't hold my breath. |