Would you send your children to a religious school?

[Nikky]

Myself and my partner are both Atheist, but we want to send our daughter to the best school we can afford (like any parent). The best schools in our area happen to be religious. I have always wanted to send her to a private school, unfortunately there are only two private non religious schools in my state. One is perfect, but we will have to move (which we are willing, but can't do until I have finished Uni), the other is FAR too expensive.

I have applied for one Catholic and two Anglican schools, but now having second thoughts. I have been told that the religious education is not too full on and all they do at other times is a few prayers, but how do we really know what they're teaching the kids? Does anyone have any experience with religious schools? Particularly in Australia.

[Will]

I went to a religious school for 4th grade. I strongly recommend against even religious people sending their kids to religious schools. Even in the good ones, the science they teach is questionable, the teachers are snobby assholes which means the kids in turn become snobby assholes. And even at the better religious schools there's a lot of religion.

Then again, that's the United States. I can't speak to Australia.

[Whitney]

I generally advise against private school unless public options are dangerous or offer sub-par education.  Kids who are in private school generally come from rich families, tend to be snobs, and lack the social ability to get along well with real people.  I attended private school through 7th grade and transferred to public in 8th grade; I got a good education at both schools and was challenged at both schools in the long run.  We need life experience just as much as we need quality education and only socializing with snobby rich kids is going to skew one's perception of how to interact with others once they are out of school.

I would also argue that any school that includes religious teachings as fact in their curriculum is not a quality education.  That said, I do know an atheist who's parents are atheists yet he was sent to religious school because it was good....he said that his particular school was very liberal and actually had religious studies classes where they truly investigated various beliefs.

So, if you can find a religious school that teaches religion critically and is not filled with mostly rich kids and offers high quality educational experiences then it might just be worth giving a try....but I'd still only choose it if public school options simply were not tolerable.

[Thumpalumpacus]

So, if you can find a religious school that teaches religion critically ....

That's a big "if" there.

[Asmodean]

I would not send my kids to anything religious in bias unless they specifically asked me to.

[Businessocks]

We seriously looked into this.  There is a little Christian school near us that my boss sends her kids to and raves about.  So, we went a couple of years ago to check it out.  The K classroom was awesome: pet bunny, large comfy bean bag chairs the kids could relax or read in, only 17 max allowed in the class, cozy decor (no institutionalized concrete walls and buzzing lights).  They said they met in the mornings to give a prayer of thanks and started Bible study class in the second grade.  We were almost sold, telling ourselves that Christianity is such a large part of our culture that it wouldn't hurt the kids to learn that aspect of society.

The deal breaker came when an administrator--who also had a kid in the school--came to talk to us about why she loves the school as a mom and an administrator.  She said that she loves that the kids are taught the truth about hard topics.  She used a project her son did on the Mayans as an example.  She said that he learned that even though the Mayans were amazing mathematicians and scientists, they were ultimately destroyed because they didn't worship the one true god.  I couldn't send my kid to a school who taught such uninformed, prejudiced nonsense.

It reminded me of when my niece came home from a Christian school after Princess Diana died.  She announced at the dinner table:  Poor Princess Diana is burning in hell right now because she got a divorce.  My teacher said anyone who gets a divorce is breaking god's law.  Should we tell Grandma she's going to hell?  Do you think she already knows that?

Both of these stories are from American Christian schools.  I use them to illustrate that I wouldn't be worried so much about the religion class.  I'm guessing it would be pretty standard Bible story and character teaching for a big chunk of it.  It's these little "gems" that are bound to pop out of the teachers who are very serious believers that would concern me more.  You can check out the curriculum and see the stance on the Bible and science they will take, but you can't really know what side comments will be made in history, etc. to give that Christian flavoring some uumph!

Good luck finding a school that is a good fit for your family.

[sammylama]

My daughter ( goes to 7th Day Adventist school.  I was married to a SDA for 10 years (was christian when we met).  Divorced for two years now, with my daughter in the third grade.  I hate it that she is being programmed by these fools with their crap, but I must admit that the teacher-to-student ratio is excellent and, in this school, there are no drugs or violence.  Me...I went to public school my whole life.  Now, I do my best to de-bug my little girl during the times we have together.

[freeservant]

My daughter ( goes to 7th Day Adventist school.

You may not have much to worry about.  I attended Adventist schools from 5th grade to my first year of college (Andrews University) and I can say that it did not keep me an SDA.  Once I left AU and started my drinking carrier I can say that I was quite the agnostic/atheist for many years.  Then a lone wolf Christian for more then a decade after that.

I do hear statistics that the falloff rate for Christian teens is something like 75% leaving the Church.  I blame this on an anti-intellectualism movement that has blinded some to how to defend the faith.

I don't know about if my case is typical but I would caution any Atheist parents to think if trying to indoctrinate them in Atheism may have the opposite effect.  As a young adult I wanted to rebel against the world view of my parents.  Yet there is a risk that your Children could still become Christians as God must act upon you personally and give you a very personal revelation.  This would mean that God is real and can change hearts and minds that are open to God.

You could just teach your children critical thinking skills and logic then let them have the freedom to decide for themselves. Again I am bias but tend to see it as giving them a even chance to go either way.

I have to admit here that I have returned to the Adventist Church (Happy Sabbath) but then I have a personal testimony that none here are inclined to believe. (amiright?) Or to put it this way something happened to me so that I can no longer rationally deny the amazing grace of our Lord and Savior.

[sammylama]

My daughter ( goes to 7th Day Adventist school.

You could just teach your children critical thinking skills and logic then let them have the freedom to decide for themselves. Again I am bias but tend to see it as giving them a even chance to go either way.

I have to admit here that I have returned to the Adventist Church (Happy Sabbath) but then I have a personal testimony that none here are inclined to believe. (amiright?) Or to put it this way something happened to me so that I can no longer rationally deny the amazing grace of our Lord and Savior.

I have to admit that you're not sounding like your average SDA, and I ought to know (my grandmother's SDA roots go all the way back to when they were still Millerites).  

Not trying to indoctrinate my daughter, just provide a little balance.  Critical thinking skills...yes.

And yeah...Happy Sabbath  

[The Magic Pudding]

Hello everyone.
I am an atheist, my wife had a strong view that our kids should attend an Australian Catholic School, so they did.
Through her work she met kids attending both public and Catholic schools, she felt the Catholic system turned out nicer kids.
The Aus school system breakdown: "(72%) were government schools, 18% were Catholic schools and 10% were Independent schools". http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf ... enDocument

Anyway I'm happy with my kid’s education, I don't think religion is overplayed.
Teachers wouldn't get away with any and weird fundamentalist stuff.

[philosoraptor]

Speaking anecdotally, quite a few of my friends from junior high went on to go to Catholic high schools.  Several of them have ended up in jail, turned into total burn outs, and at least one of them was hooked on crack and heroin for awhile.

Not that your average public school kid isn't just as likely to do some of these things, but in my experience, it seems like those stuck in the sort of oppressive atmosphere imposed by a private religious education tend to go overboard in the whole freedom and experimentation period as a freshly minted young adult, and that the consequences are less than savory.

So no, if I had a hypothetical child, I would NOT send them to a religious institute for education.

[Thumpalumpacus]

I would avoid doing so not only because of the claptrap that might be taught, but also I have a pretty firm rule against lending any financial support to any religious institutions.

I'm lucky here because Ventura's schools are consistently rated "outstanding" by the State; I also take an active role in my son's education.

[The Magic Pudding]

Speaking anecdotally, quite a few of my friends from junior high went on to go to Catholic high schools.  Several of them have ended up in jail, turned into total burn outs, and at least one of them was hooked on crack and heroin for awhile.
 it seems like those stuck in the sort of oppressive atmosphere imposed by a private religious education tend to go overboard in the whole freedom and experimentation period as a freshly minted young adult, and that the consequences are less than savory.

So no, if I had a hypothetical child, I would NOT send them to a religious institute for education.

I'm not a hard line atheist, embittered by bad experiences with religious institutions.
I can say my kids and their friends are not oppressed.
My eldest child has completed her schooling and is now attending University.
She doesn't seem to binge any more than the average student.
Well that's what she tells may anyway.

[pinkocommie]

Speaking anecdotally, quite a few of my friends from junior high went on to go to Catholic high schools.  Several of them have ended up in jail, turned into total burn outs, and at least one of them was hooked on crack and heroin for awhile.

Not that your average public school kid isn't just as likely to do some of these things, but in my experience, it seems like those stuck in the sort of oppressive atmosphere imposed by a private religious education tend to go overboard in the whole freedom and experimentation period as a freshly minted young adult, and that the consequences are less than savory.

So no, if I had a hypothetical child, I would NOT send them to a religious institute for education.

Yeah, this was my experience growing up as well.  If you wanted to find the biggest drug addicts, the craziest thrill seekers or the easiest slut bunnies, you looked for kids in private religious schools.  It was always a safer bet that the private school kids were more effed up than the public school kids, but again that's just my anecdotal experience.  I would avoid private religious institutions simply because I wouldn't feel comfortable financially supporting the perpetuation of what I see as a lie.  If a family is already prepared to relocate to attend a specific school, would it really be that much more trouble to relocate to a place with a secular schooling choice, public or private, that is acceptable?  Private certainly doesn't always mean better, especially religious private.

[karadan]

Maybe the definition of a religious school is different in the US than in the UK because pretty much all private schools in the UK have a religious stance. I had to go to church every day but we were only taught about the bible in bible class. All other classes were unhindered by religion.

Do all religious schools in the US teach religion in science class or something?