You have to have sympathy for all concerned here, I think.
The parents of a Teesside Sikh girl say they will convert her to Catholicism in order to get her into the best school in the area. Maya Kaur, four, has attended a nursery at St Paul's RC School at Wolviston, near Billingham, for two years. But her parents have been told there is no place for her at the school when she starts primary education next month.
Now her father, Bal Singh, says he is prepared to change her religion, if it helps his daughter stay at St Paul's.
I don't think you can just swap little Maya Kaur (all Sikh women are Kaur - princess, just as all Sikh men are Singh - lion) like that.
A diocesan spokesman said it welcomed adults who wanted to become followers of Christ's teachings, but that children were "another matter". He said only parents who are themselves Catholic Christians could make such a commitment for their child.
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9 comments:
Funny thing is, i think they should let her in.
Funny thing, British National Party Member, is, I think they should do. The parents are obviously caring, sincere and ambitious for their daughter. Exactly the middle class types that form the backbone of any country.
Exactly my thoughts.
the last two sikh women I met were called Singh not Kaur, so what you said can't always be true.
If it is the best school in the area it is likely to be over subscribed. So why should a catholic family lose out to a family who use catholicism as a badge of convenience? If they are willing to trade in their established beliefs so easily, I'm sure they will drop catholicism when it is no longer advantageous.
So am i really, but at least they are making an effort.
Also, my mum went to catholic church and shined the pews or whatever for a month before i went to catholic school to make sure i got in because i went to a c of e primary school (To be honest i cant Remember what i was Christened)
My point is that its usually quite a big thing for Sikhs to be sikh. So if he is prepares to put officially change her religion to catholic he will probably put a lot of effort in at the school, exactly the sort of parent you need.
And in answer to your specific question, they shouldnt miss out. I mean if there were enough devout Catholics for the places then she shouldnt get in, but ill bet there are at least 10% of the intake who go to church about as much as osma bin laden - a few of the "c of e" ond "catholic" schools round here are 90% muslim, and they sure as heck don't make the effort to erect a pretence of conformity.
Sorry for the bad sentences above, i should have gone through it before i posted it.
BNP member: Why? It's not a club!
Would you have said the same if it was a Moslem family?
Christianity is a matter of Faith & Belief, not pick and mix or because the 4 year old has her friends there, or that her parents think a RC school provides a better education than that of another denomination.
Well you are right about it being about faith primarily Bernard, and if the school could be filled up with children of Roman Catholic parents then of course it should have been.
My experience here though is that a lot of so called Christian schools are filled up with muslims who make no effort to fit in, and i thought this seek chap was being rather touching and dedicated to his daughter, so would make the sort of parent schools need.
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