Stealing their religion

That's what Catholic and Jewish school leaders seem to think about an amendment to the schools bill tabled by Lord Baker. The amendment would require religious schools within the state sector to allocate up to 25% of places to those outside their particular religion. Current politically correct thinking seems to be that it is perfectly acceptable to criticise Muslims for "refusing to integrate" but not to do so when Christian sects, Jews, Hindus and Buddhists essentially do the same. (I would have, desirous as I am to be complete and accurate, included atheists in the above list however I am blissfully unaware of any atheist schools were my fellow heathens, with the aid of state funds, brainwash children into being the next generation of heathens. Any examples of such will be willingly excepted.)

To demonstrate how inane, and potentially damaging, the arguments put forward against the amendment are I give you the following statement from John Benjamin, chief executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews:

"I think it would be nonsensical, where the demand exceeds the supply of places at Jewish schools, for Jewish children to not have the opportunity to go to Jewish schools because of a quota system".

Substitute "white" for "Jewish" and you have:

"I think it would be nonsensical, where the demand exceeds the supply of places at white schools, for white children to not have the opportunity to go to white schools because of a quota system".

Anyone agree with that?

For my own part I would go several steps further than this and ban religious schools from the state sector full stop. Religious thought, belief and education are the provenance of parents and family not the state.