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Church school turns down girl from family ‘not Catholic enough’
Mark Blunden27 Aug 2010
A mother claims her daughter was banned from attending a London church primary school because she was “not Catholic enough”.
Emma Murphy says she was told her application to get four-year-old Mae into the school, where she attended nursery, was refused because the family attended Mass once a fortnight instead of weekly.
According to St Teresa Catholic Primary School in Dagenham, it meant they were not “practising Catholics”, Ms Murphy said, although she and her three daughters were all baptised in the faith.
The decision was today criticised by education campaigners.
Ms Murphy claimed she could only attend church every two weeks after suffering complications while carrying her youngest daughter, Ria, including sciatica and gestational diabetes.
She said: “I could barely walk at the time. I had to use crutches, but I still got to Mass every other week. I haven't the heart to tell Mae she has been refused a place. She loves that school and really wants to go.”
The school got an overall “good” Ofsted rating in its last report.
Mae was offered a place at St Joseph's Catholic Primary in Dagenham, more than a mile from her home.
After losing an appeal, the family contacted the Local Government Ombudsman who ruled there was no legal reason why St Teresa could not admit Mae but there had been no administrative failure.
Fiona Millar, chairwoman of Comprehensive Future, said: “There should be fair and open criteria for local schools so every child has the chance to learn there regardless of social background, religion or how clever they are.”
Andrew Copson, of the British Humanist Association, said Mae's case revealed “extreme discrimination”.
Monsignor George Stokes, the director of education in the diocese of Brentwood, said: “Practising Catholics get preference... a practising Catholic is meant to go to Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days.”
Barking and Dagenham council said the Ombudsman had confirmed that the school had followed its admissions processes fairly.
Reader views (14)
To Andrew, Israel. You have completely contradicted yourself in what you are saying. At the start of your comment you say 'Why shouldnt they refuse her entry?' then you go onto saying 'Why shouldnt parents be able to offer their children a good start in life by learning at a faith school?' And the article clearly states that she is of faith and the only reason she hasn't gone to mass weekly is because Ms Murphy has had complications with her pregnancy that has stopped her. And as for your views on single parents. You couldn't be more harsh or disgusting about the situation! You are acting like they are a breed of animal you wouldn't dare have your children associate with. If you lived in the UK you would know that single parents and parents that are not married is normal. I don't see how you could say, for example, that if a child comes from a family where one of the parents is abusive, which happens in every religion, taking them away from that is a bad or shameful thing? It may not be ideal having only one parent but there is no proof of this effecting children or their beliefs.
'most state secular schools in the UK are full of all sorts of people from all over everywhere, meaning the level of education is alot poorer than that of faith schools' I find this personally offensive as I am an atheist and I went to one of these schools you slate so easily! Yes you get the odd child who misbehaves like in any school but this has nothing to do with race or religion.
- Frances, Yeovil , Somerset., 03/09/2010 15:15
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i think most of you are missing the point the mother is not so much upset that her child will not receivea catholic education ?? which you so rightly state above she is upset that a school that is in her catchment area and one that her child has attended for a year now has no place for her ?? She also attends the catchment church and her and her children have all been baptised there ,the reason is because she never went to mass every week which is a requirement but hold on the same requirement of St Joseph's is expected so if St Joseph can accept her and find a place why can St Teresa not ??
- Caroline, Dagenham, 03/09/2010 14:14
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Its a Church school, you have to be a practising Catholic to attend. What in the world is next? Applicant over looked for bus driver position for being blind? Enough of the PC BS!
- Dirk Diggler, Soho, London UK, 31/08/2010 04:51
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Chris O'Brien,
"the 6 priecements of the church"?
Do I take it you are referring to "The seven precepts of the Catholic church"?
If so, you are quite correct.
That's why I am now an agnostic, lapsed Catholic.
But strangely felt the need to send my own children to a Catholic school, and let them make their own choices re religion when they grew up.
If God is out there, -I'd like to think he won't be too concerned with the petty , trivial rules and regulations established by "His authorities on earth".
- Huggy, Cumbernauld Scotland, 30/08/2010 11:32
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Fiona Millar, chairwoman of Comprehensive Future, said: “There should be fair and open criteria for local schools so every child has the chance to learn there regardless of social background, religion or how clever they are.”
Andrew Copson, of the British Humanist Association, said Mae's case revealed “extreme discrimination”.
...comments from two groups opposed to faith based schools - not exactly relevant arguments considering that the woman was trying for placement in her own religion's faith-based school! I'm trying to figure out why they were even asked for a comment.
If there are too few places available compared to the number of people applying the schools are obviously going to apply their selection rules more stringently - pretty dumb to even think otherwise.
- Rogan, Irving, 30/08/2010 06:35
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Why shouldnt they refuse her entry? If I lived in the UK, I would certainly send my children to a Jewish school. I want them to be taught family values, Jewish traditions and of course ensure our culture is part of their education.
It has been shown over and over that secular schools do not instill values into children, and in Britain there are so many single parents with no moral framework that if I was to consider that, my own children would grow up thinking this is normal. It is alien to me to even contemplate allowing my children to think that single-parenting, unmarried parents with kids etc is normal, as well as the dumb politically-correct lessons the secular schools teach such as Social Studies. Also I would imagine that most state secular schools in the UK are full of all sorts of people from all over everywhere, meaning the level of education is alot poorer than that of faith schools. Why shouldnt parents be able to offer their children a good start in life by learning at a faith school? The decision was correct in this case. Faith schools should not be forced to admit those of other faiths. Not sure about catholicism, but relgiously speaking, it is forbidden to teach a Jewish education to non-Jews, therefore I dont see an argument at all!
- Andrew, Tel Aviv, Israel, 29/08/2010 09:07
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This story makes me feel ashamed to be Catholic. Discriminating among Catholics such as what we read here taking place in Dagenham on the part of the Catholic Church contradicts the basic value system of Christianity. It makes one wonder where the Catholic Church is coming from.
Christ's mission was to sinners and to those on the fringe of society. These priests and bishops don't comprehend the evil they are doing. The priests involved in this action are in the same ranks as the priestly child sex abusers we read about so much these days.
I am a Catholic myself. But I cannot help feeling ashamed of the Catholic Church which is coming to look more and more like a cesspit of evil.
Graham Briscombe
- Graham Briscombe, Swansea, Wales, 28/08/2010 02:37
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It is right that these freeloaders got caught. I thought we got rid of the Nu Labour style of everyone gets everything for free "everyone is equal innit". If you do not do the work, not follow the rules or are not qualified you don't get in. Simple.
- Georgie, Islington, London, 27/08/2010 17:55
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One of the tenets of attending a Catholic school is that you attend mass on a Sunday. It's not an option. Unfortunately by the time kids get to 16,they are fed up and end up lapsing, and not all of them go back in the end, as I did.
- Blue Baby, London, 27/08/2010 13:57
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being a Catholic, if the mother can not be bothered to bring her child up in the Catholic faith,by attending the services, which are part of the Faith, and in the 6 priecements of the Church,. then she should have chosen another school
- Chris O'Brien, Fredericia Denmark, 27/08/2010 13:43
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Given the state of the church, not being catholic enough sounds like a good thing.
- Wispy Wonder, London, 27/08/2010 13:12
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Theres no way of us being able to choose where we want our children educated and all being happy, what happens when 300 children want the same primary school and there are only one or two class's per year.
We are never all going to be able to get school of choice, only the wealthy that can buy there way into the catchment areas can achieve this.
- John smitten, London, 27/08/2010 11:52
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Just another example of why all faith schools should be abolished. We should all have access to the education of our choice. The education a child recieves should be dependant on nothing more thant the child's abilities. It should have nothing at all to do with the religious beliefs of the parents.
Churches are full of people who have no faith in anything other than the desire to get their child into a better school.
- Handbag, uk, 27/08/2010 11:30
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Can't see what this woman has to get upset about here. The child has been placed in a catholic school (St Joseph's), and St Teresa's has been found by the Ombudsman to have applied its admissions policy fairly. The mother will just have to accept the decision. Can't see that it is news.
- In Mourning for our Nation, Tottenham, 27/08/2010 10:51
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