Faith-Based School stuff. Day 3

One of my friends teaches in the public school system. He has an interesting take on the subject.
Have a read, I think you'll agree.
Thanks Tim.

Humble,
I am a man of faith and I teach in the public system...you know that.
I admit that for me there is probably a lot more at stake here than just creating 'alternatives' for people's education. With money as tight as it is already in the public system...how on earth are we going to pay for so much more? I am concerned about my job. Student numbers will drop. Jobs will be lost. Can I get employment at a Muslim (as a Christian/Jew/Hundu/Sikh/etc) school when there is nothing left in the public system?...It's not an question of it simply being the same amount of kids, nothing changes. There will be significant changes.
Yes there is a question of fairness. Absolutely. But the problem is not adding more 'separate' schools, but making it a one part public education system. Nothing against the Catholic system. But for it to be truly fair...make it all the same. Not a bunch of 'different'.
The dividing of the system will only 'ghetto-ise' everything. Jews here. Muslims here. Buddhists here. Etc.
Although Dalton McSquinty does make your bile rise, I think what he is saying is fundamentally sound. I teach in the public system and we do "work/live together".
Its hard enough to try and gain understanding when you are together "24/7" (see earlier Blog about pooing in the downstairs toilet). But you if you work at it and have the opportunity to do so...you do.
At my school, and others in the Peel system, we celebrate diversity as much as possible (Ramadan, Diwali, Hanukkah, etc...they are all honoured)...separate us and I think it will cause more damage.
By the way, since when is it a school's job to teach faith? Ultimately, I believe that faith is a church/synagogue/temple/mosque/etc's job. Separation of church and state makes sense here.
A school is NOT a faith based school because it has a religion's or a person-of-faith's name on the outside wall. It is all about what's being done on the inside.The "Golden Rule" happens across all faiths in some form or another...so if I am respecting and caring for my staff and student's well being and 'doing unto them...' am I not being my own micro-cosmic faith-based-school?