It is simply not true that ‘nobody had an issue with faith schools until muslims got them’. I certainly did and so did a lot of other atheists. Just try talking to some of the people who get ‘given’ jolly little ‘high achieving’ CofE schools that slip the religion in daily. I have family members who have children sent home with religious tracts every term. Only one religion by the way - Christian. I am not Muslim bashing. I fully support freedom of religion.

BTW Debbie, I pay my taxes TOO and I don’t get state funded schools that provide the education I see fit. That’s why I choose to home ed.

But in the end this is just another piece of fear-mongering. Next they will have us all wearing badges so they can tell what kind of “strategic security problem” each of us represents.

Perhaps we need a law which requires everyone to send their children to a state school chosen at random?

I will be somewhat stroppy though and say that I don’t think complete seperation, even voluntary, is something that is good. Our particular nation is as diverse as it is becuase so many different cultures have intergrated into it. I grew up boardering on a major Jewish area and although the kids went to the Jewish school (which is a practical arrangement - they do have different festivals around which to hang the school terms after all) and obviously went to the Synagogue on Saturday rather than Church on Sunday, that was as far as the difference went really. The Kosher shops were on the same street as Spar, we shared play parks, their children joined the same Guides/Scouts etc, we were all part of the same community. That’s different from a community that seals itself in and doesn’t share it’s culture or allow it’s children to see ours.

Merry is Irish!!!