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Can you be a Foundation governor if you're an atheist?

39 replies

inappropriatelyemployed · 03/02/2013 21:23

Just that really. Do you have to demonstrate christian faih?

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JoanByers · 03/02/2013 21:39

I'm sure there are atheists working for the Church of England in numerous capacities, and I don't think it's a problem - unless they act against the Church.

If you are an anti-theist, that would be different from merely being an unbeliever.

Governors are supposed to 'set the Christian ethos of the school'.

www.churchofengland.org/education/national-society/staffing-governance/being-a-governor.aspx

Whether your atheism is a problem for that role would depend on whether IMO the Christian character of the school is a problem for you.

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Rosevase · 04/02/2013 06:50

But your job would be to preserve and nurture the religious aspect of the school, and your training will (probably) be run and organised by the Church.
Why would you want it, if you are an atheist?
(I think the answer would be no btw, as I can't see anyone nominating you if you are openly atheist).

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Ronaldo · 04/02/2013 06:54

The question raised in my mind is Why? If you are an atheist why would you want to be a governor in a school which upholds a specific set of principles based on a belief you do not share?

It has always seemed quite odd to me that anyone who holds a belief that God does not exist would want to be involved in a place where the basic belief is the antithesis of their personal " faith" .

Agnositic I can accept. Atheists I cannot understand ( and I know many atheists who seem to want to be around religion and are always meddling in its nature! I hope you are not one!!)

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Ronaldo · 04/02/2013 07:00

On a personal level - as a man who is about to send his DS ( precious or otherwise before anyone takes a snipe at my mentioning him) to a school with a distinct Christian ethos and foundation, I would expect that the governance upholds those Christian principles and believes in them even though I myself may not have a level of conviction (I am not religious but I would not describe myself as atheist).

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inappropriatelyemployed · 04/02/2013 07:14

Thanks. I completely understand.

I have been asked and I would be nominated despite my views. It is me who is asking the question about how appropriate it is for me to be a governor in this way.

I understand the thinking was that it was actually sufficient that I send my children to the school.

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Rosevase · 04/02/2013 07:25

Who has asked you? If I was a parent at the school, I would feel alarmed enough at both their judgement and your's in taking it (if you do!) and contact the priest or the bishop to raise my concerns.

Lots of atheists send their children to a faith school, but it doesn't indicate the parent's ability to promote the religious nature and nurture it. It just indicates that that school was your local one or the one you tho

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Rosevase · 04/02/2013 07:25

... Thought would do best for your children.

I would be concerned.

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inappropriatelyemployed · 04/02/2013 07:29

I think some Christian schools are much more inclusive than you suggest and see atheists more readily as a part of their world view precisely because of their Christian values which are real in practice.

This does not alarm me at all. Whether it is the right personal fit for me is another matter,

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AnyFuleKno · 04/02/2013 07:40

Hang on. Are we talking about a faith school here?

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notcitrus · 04/02/2013 07:45

My ds is likely to go to a CofE school - only one we're close enough to get in - and the head said that parent governors should reflect the community, in this case half the places are not reserved for Christians. I'm quite tempted to become a governor to help ensure the head's inclusive welcoming version of Christianity is what gets enforced, rather than a version I would have serious problems with.

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SantasHairyBollock · 04/02/2013 07:55

I am currently a gov at a community school which may become a faith school if/when it becomes an academy.
I will be stepping down if that happens and withdrawing my children from the school as I believe education and religion should be separate, and I am atheist. I know that personally, I could not continue to support the school as a faith school and I would be a hypocrite to do so.

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trashcansinatra · 04/02/2013 08:01

There will be parent governor positions too, and you should be suitable for them if you have DCs at the school, but I think for Foundation you really should support the faith element.

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Catsu · 04/02/2013 08:01

We are non believers but send our children to a faith school.
We are incredibly supportive to the school and fully behind the ethos and morals that they run the school by.
My partner is a governer and does a lot for the school. I doubt most parents know that we aren't catholic tbh and surely it doesn't matter all the time he's giving up his time and energy to do a great job ?...

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Ronaldo · 04/02/2013 08:05

I'm quite tempted to become a governor to help ensure the head's inclusive welcoming version of Christianity is what gets enforced, rather than a version I would have serious problems with

This is precisely the attitude that frightens me. What about those who would have problesmw ith your version? They should go elsewhere?

If a school states its faith - be it Jewish, Islam or Christian,then in sending my child there I accept it. If I dont like it, I can always look for another school - secular schools are the majority in Britian today.

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Rosevase · 04/02/2013 09:55

Become a normal governor then, as a parent (if accepted). You should not be a Foundation Governor.

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inappropriatelyemployed · 04/02/2013 10:27

I think there is no one 'true' version of Christianity and the school is more interested in people who will support its inherent values: inclusivity, indiviudality, respect, caring.

This seems to be more important than whether people label themselves Christian which may not actually mean they practise any of this.

There are enough selective Christian grammars which are certainly not inclusive etc.

Your values are not the values of all Christians.

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Ronaldo · 04/02/2013 10:43

You sound as if you really want to do it - then, do it.

But at least you know know that not everyone will necessarily think you are the bees knees and some ( like me and another poster here) may raise an eyebrow or even do more.

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inappropriatelyemployed · 04/02/2013 11:23

No I don't 'really want it'. I am simply putting to you the explanation put to me verbally and in the documents relating to this position.

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creamteas · 04/02/2013 12:52

I strongly object to all faith schools and would prefer if they did not exist.

However, given that they do, I think it depends on the context. In some areas of the country, there are faith school (usually C of E) which do not have a selection on the grounds of religion, and in rural areas might be the only school serving an area. In which case I think the governors should reflect the community and include should not select on the grounds of religion.

Where schools do select on a religious basis, I can see the logic of having only religious governors.

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MaggieW · 04/02/2013 16:57

My DCs CE school Governors are Muslims, Catholics, CE - practising and non. Some of the CE ones, partic those acting as Church governors, aren't what I believe to be a good Christian model but, with regards to your question, I don't think it's a problem, nor would agnostic or atheist governors be, as long as they were all working for the same aim of doing the best for the school and its pupils.

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titchy · 04/02/2013 17:22

Of course governors can, and should, be of all faiths, or none, and all walks if life. Foundation governors though are specifically there to promote the schools Christianity and links with the church, something that IMO excludes non-Christians from holding that particular governor post. They should be appointed because their experience makes them suited to this role. Similarly a parent governor is appointed because their experience as a parent. You wouldn't appoint a non-parent to be a parent governor. Similarly you shouldn't appoint a non-Christian to be a foundation governor.

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Pyrrah · 04/02/2013 17:48

Ronaldo there are no secular state schools in the UK - there are some who managed to get away with the odd nod to god, but some community schools are considerably more religious than many faith schools as it comes down to the ethos of the HT.

Where I live it would be perfectly possible that the only school my DD is offered a place at is a full-on CofE primary. If that is the school that I am forced to choose then I fully intend to make sure that the school is equally welcoming to those of other faiths and those of none. My secular taxes and not the church coffers are paying for it after all.

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Ronaldo · 04/02/2013 18:41

Ronaldo there are no secular state schools in the UK - there are some who managed to get away with the odd nod to god, but some community schools are considerably more religious than many faith schools as it comes down to the ethos of the HT

There are more than a few schools who get away with a nod to God as you put it and in my book thats secular. of course officially this is a Christian country but to look at the comments here you would hardly think it.


I believe the humanist society is attempting to open a free school which will be secular. I am not sure it has the OK though.

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Ronaldo · 04/02/2013 18:45

My secular taxes and not the church coffers are paying for it after all

Are they really? You sure about that? It is my understandinf from working in cgurch aided and foundation schools that the Church adds more than a few pensce to support those schools.

For my own DS I have chosen an evangelical Church school because I am clear about where they stand ( as they are) and I dont want a school with a watered down ethos - despite my own lack of conviction. Of course DW and self will be paying for this school out of our own pockets - so the school doesnt have to serve God and mamon as in state education.

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Tiggles · 04/02/2013 19:45

Inappropriate, as a foundation governor you are there to represent the view of the church, not yourself. It is possible to do this if you are an atheist (I guess) but may be awkward.
As opposed to a parent governor who is there to represent their own views, not the views of parents in general.
Much of what a governor does is probably not unduly relevant to the church per se eg in terms of organising budgets or english/maths policies but some is e.g. admission criteria, RE policies, collective worship policies etc.

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