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View Full Version : Where do you come down on this?




JustinTime
12-27-2012, 05:15 PM
http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/Muslim-family-taking-Thornton-Heath-Greek/story-17646844-detail/story.html

A Greek Orthodox school in the UK wont allow hijabs, Muslims sue.

Does the school have the right to set its dress code, or do the individuals have the right to wear what they want?

Zippyjuan
12-27-2012, 05:24 PM
From the article:


"The decision not to allow her to wear a headscarf was taken by the governing body. The school has a very particular uniform policy which is shared with parents and, as head, I must follow the plan.

"The pupil in question came to us from a private school. Her parents actively chose us and, before she arrived, we held a meeting which included details of the uniform plan. We are the only Greek Orthodox Primary School in the whole country. The parents actively sought our school. They must have done so with their eyes open."

Acala
12-27-2012, 05:24 PM
Private schools should make the rules they want. Public schools shouldn't exist. Can't tell which this one is.

belian78
12-27-2012, 05:24 PM
Is the school private? If yes, then they can have whatever rules and regs they want.

Is the school funded by public funds? If yes, then too bad, they have to allow dress that is lawful according to that state/country's laws.

belian78
12-27-2012, 05:25 PM
Public schools shouldn't exist.
This is of course a given.

Antischism
12-27-2012, 05:27 PM
Well, the article states that the dress code doesn't explicitly disallow headscarves. But is the school public or private? I don't see a mention of that.

Personally, I think she should be able to wear it. What harm is it doing to others? It's as dumb as the rules imposed in public schools here growing up in NYC, where we weren't allowed to wear hats or chew bubble gum. I think restricting such minor things is more disruptive overall and detracts from studies since there will be kids who break the rules and it will inevitably halt classroom activities when the teacher stops to ask them to take off the cap or spit out the gum, for example.

Not that you're really learning anything useful in our public school system, but that's another story...

jkr
12-27-2012, 05:27 PM
yeah but...
http://www.memehumor.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/fashion-police-640x513.jpg

Confederate
12-27-2012, 05:33 PM
Is it a private school? Then yes, they have every right to set any condition they want.

JustinTime
12-27-2012, 05:40 PM
Is it a private school? Then yes, they have every right to set any condition they want.

Im a bit surprised by all the people questioning whether its private or public, its a religious school, Id be shocked if it werent private.

Zippyjuan
12-27-2012, 06:05 PM
Their website describes it as a "voluntary aided" (ie not tax funded) school. http://www.croydon.gov.uk/education/schools-new/primary-schools/st-cyprians-primary
Enrolment listed as 60 for kids aged 4-11.

Confederate
12-27-2012, 06:16 PM
Im a bit surprised by all the people questioning whether its private or public, its a religious school, Id be shocked if it werent private.

Religious school can be publicly funded in the UK. There is no separation of church and state. England has a state church, the Church of England(the Anglican church), Scotland has it's own state church as well, the Church of Scotland (a Presbyterian church).

Confederate
12-27-2012, 06:16 PM
Their website describes it as a "voluntary aided" (ie not tax funded) school. http://www.croydon.gov.uk/education/schools-new/primary-schools/st-cyprians-primary
Enrolment listed as 60 for kids aged 4-11.

A voluntary aided school is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust (usually a religious organisation) owns the school buildings, contributes to building costs and has a substantial influence in the running of the school. Such schools have more autonomy than voluntary controlled schools, which are entirely funded by the state.

dannno
12-27-2012, 06:18 PM
A voluntary aided school is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust (usually a religious organisation) owns the school buildings, contributes to building costs and has a substantial influence in the running of the school. Such schools have more autonomy than voluntary controlled schools, which are entirely funded by the state.

So it's a public school where they are allowed to discriminate, say prayers and the Church is really just the Janitor.

Confederate
12-27-2012, 06:22 PM
So it's a public school where they are allowed to discriminate, say prayers and the Church is really just the Janitor.

Prayers are allowed in every school in the UK. This type of school receives state-funding, but that is not it's primary source of funding. They are allowed to set their admissions requirements and have a lot of leeway in regards to their curriculum and hiring. I don't believe they are allowed to discriminate in admissions or hiring based on religion, though.

No idea what the last part of your post means.

JustinTime
12-27-2012, 06:23 PM
A voluntary aided school is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust (usually a religious organisation) owns the school buildings, contributes to building costs and has a substantial influence in the running of the school. Such schools have more autonomy than voluntary controlled schools, which are entirely funded by the state.

So do they have the option of telling the state to pound sand, or are they ah-hem "voluntary" whether they want to be or not?

Zippyjuan
12-27-2012, 06:31 PM
A voluntary aided school is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust (usually a religious organisation) owns the school buildings, contributes to building costs and has a substantial influence in the running of the school. Such schools have more autonomy than voluntary controlled schools, which are entirely funded by the state.
Thanks for the additional information.

Confederate
12-27-2012, 06:33 PM
So do they have the option of telling the state to pound sand, or are they ah-hem "voluntary" whether they want to be or not?

Voluntary aided means they voluntarily take state funds. They have a lot of autonomy, though, they set their own admissions criteria, hire their own staff, formulate their own curricula, etc. They are not completely independent schools, however.

They're basically semi-private (often times religious) charter schools.

Danan
12-27-2012, 08:23 PM
Yet another incident where public ownership of something that shouldn't be publically owned creates an environment where the public feels required and entitled to judge about specific regulations no normal person should be bothered about at all.

If all schools were private, nobody would even debate whether or not school A should have this set of rules or that set of rules. Parents would simply chose school B if they don't like what school A offers them. No need for a law or expensive legal systems judging the case at all.