Do the public support faith schools?

The Examiner has been out asking residents for their thoughts following a Department of Education, Sport and Culture proposal that St Thomas’ church of England primary school relocates and share a site with Scoill Vallajeelt. It’s due to be discussed at this month’s Tynwald sitting.

While pupils would share lunch and play times, there has been accusations from some parents that the separated nature of the teaching would lead to segregation and more than 400 people signed a letter to the department opposing the matter.

Falk Horning said he believes the schools should be merged if they are going to share a site: ’I have no problem with separate religious schools, but the institutions should pay for them.

’I don’t think the government would pay for other religions’ schools and if it’s not going to be fair then they shouldn’t be paying for the ones they do and they should merge the schools together.’

Jennifer Blackburn said she doesn’t mind faith schools: ’The kids are still doing the national curriculum, just with more religion being taught so I don’t see a problem with them really.

’I’m actually not religious, but I wouldn’t want my children not to have RE taught to them. My choice not to engage with religion, is exactly that, my choice, not my children’s.

’Perhaps they could even rebuild the school somewhere else or where it is now.’

Jennnifer’s view of the national curriculum was one shared by Maggie Lannan who said she has no objection to the planned move: ’I don’t think it makes much difference to be honest, the only difference is going to be a slight deviation in how lessons are taught with one side having a more religious slant than the other.

’But they still have to teach the same basic subjects, so the government should be paying for them.

Giving her opinion on faith schools, Maggie said: ’I support them, yes, I think it’s partially due to what people are used to, but if another religion wanted to set up a school then it has to be equal and the government should support that to. I don’t think segregation at this joint site will be an issue. I think people are building it up to be something it isn’t.’

Maggie’s view of more being made of the issue than perhaps is true is shared by Andy and Elena Cronin. He said: ’At the end of the day they’re kids and should and probably will mix together. They won’t think anything of it, unless they’re told to.’

The couple also believed it would be a better solution to merge the schools. ’Why not merge them? It will stop any "they do it this way, we do it that way". The world is meant to be integrated, everyone together but we should separate kids based on religion?’

John Booth, a retired teacher looks at the matter in a different way, the distance between the closing St Thomas’ and Scoill Vallajeelt ’It is an awful long way, from the school they’re at, to the one they’re going to, it’s right up the other end of town.

’For the parents who live around the school and have been able to walk the kids in on their way to work or drop them off. It’s a whole new hassle, not to mention the extra traffic in and around Scoill Vallajeelt.’