Banning prayer in school is a ‘sacrifice for the betterment of the whole’ | Katherine Birbalsingh

“In a multicultural environment, we all need to make sacrifices for the betterment of the whole”.
“Britain’s strictest headteacher” Katherine Birbalsingh has won the court case challenging her decision to ban prayer at her school. She says it’s “important” for her pupils “to buy into one overarching set of values”.
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[@user-sq7nk9us6f]

Although an active Christian, I believe all prayers in school to be inappropriate. Instead have quality teaching on ethics, identity and comparative religion for all.

[@TheLucanicLord]

I don't know why they didn't just let them use a room. If they can have chess club or science club, why not prayer club?

[@Himself2019]

Nice to see there’s one intelligent person on this planet. No child under the age of sixteen should be permitted to have a smartphone by law. As regards to religion definite no no in schools, any and all schools.

[@noobsaibot7006]

I have a right to pray at school. What a way violate to religious freedom.

[@YorickReturns]

Get religion (and wokeness) out of state schools since we are all being forced to pay for that. Teach facts only. Private schools can teach what they want. A law against smartphones for kids? Why? And how? Irresponsible parents need to take responsibility for their kids, instead of sacrificing the freedoms of responsible parents and their kids (and wasting more taxpayer money on creating and enforcing ever more bans and restrictions).

[@helenpauls1496]

@@noobsaibot7006I suppose they could have a box outside somewhere for that. Best to just talk to your invisible friend at home.

[@heycidskyja4668]

@@noobsaibot7006 No, you don't have a right to pray at school - especially if it requires separating children out to a separate room and/or bringing your own equipment (prayer mat, censer, etc.). A silent moment for lunchtime grace is more than sufficient for the spiritual needs of all children in a school. Catholic and CofE schools may have a mass prayer in an assembly.

[@johnvaleanbaily246]

@@noobsaibot7006 Then find a school that allows you to pray, don't force religion on anyone.

[@fdllicks]

I worry about people who are so quick to "ban" things. It reminds me of other people in the 1930s.

[@soultune908]

Well muslim countries are living in 1930s? That's why they ban a whole set of things

[@stevec7876]

Mrs Birlbalsingh talks a lot of sense informed by leadership experience at the sharp end.

[@Joe-uz2wk]

Well thank God she's figured everything out for us

[@SPKB1984]

It's insane it was considered a "sacrifice". All religions should be banned from all schools. Education should be completely separate from faith peddlings.

[@merg-vh5sx]

Oh she's lovely and so right. Governments have GOT to step in or life will continue to be impossibly hard for good parents.

[@user-sq7nk9us6f]

I appreciate the firm support of a school policy. My children, like many others, are obsessed and trying to protect them is an unhelpful battle. Clarity and consistency help.

[@santopino756]

I had compulsory protestant Christian religion classes and worshipping in all my school years in South Africa up to 1979. I was an atheist already around 1974

[@johnvaleanbaily246]

No worship.

[@darkedge4011]

It’s interesting how so many schools are able to accommodate prayer without compromising on their secular values or their progress and attainment scores- how odd

[@user-nq1vs4ss9x]

The heading is misleading. You cannot ban prayer in school until you are able to monitor and delete thoughts. You can ban rituals.

[@garethbaker5179]

I think a better approach is to spend time with children on their smart phone and talk about what they're seeing.

[@agaragar21]

Except you can't DECIDE for me !

[@karasz236]

Authoritarian leftist

[@kaesmith2893]

She’s on the right.

[@TheLucanicLord]

Britain's annoyingest acarecrow.

[@simtyful]

Our UK creative economy benefits hugely from original thinkers. Teaching children to regurgitate recycled rhetoric does not spawn 'realtime thinkers'. Anyone who has ever worked in the creative arts has come across talented people who have become creatively paralysed by the breadth of their own curated knowledge.. We've also seen many of those trapped souls turn to drugs or worse, desperately (and often successfully) attempting to break free from creative incarceration. And, we've all lost 'heroes' to the struggle. If we are going to educate our children in the 'Michaela way', we should decriminalised class-A drugs because it might be the only therapy they're going to get.

[@ktay7382]

Well said, Katherine 👏 🇬🇧

[@seanoconnor8843]

Prayer is the start, middle and end of the day. England is a Christian country

[@catherinegrimes2308]

I cannot remember any votes to make England a Christian country, maybe you know better? Religion causes division and is best left out of school, instead the children can do something useful like science.

[@FlawlessBegetz]

Just checking to thumb this down

[@merg-vh5sx]

Which parts do you disagree with? Please be specific and explain why.