redruby

Isn’t this referring to an assembly for all pupils though? Not prayers throughout the day for just some pupils. Which is rather different. But neither have any place in a modern secular action my opinion.

Yes, but pupils not of the faith school’s religion are surely not going to be expect special treatment or be offended by the school’s beliefs? Having known the school’s religious stance before joining? It has taken hundreds of years to release this country from religious control. We shouldn’t start going backwards by allowing religions to dictate to secular schools.

Having read this article in full I’m not at all surprised on the ruling. There were sound reasons behind this. And at the end of the day, pupils are not forced to attend this school. They can go elsewhere if a secular school is problematic to them. You wouldn’t expect a religious school to accommodate different religions so why should a secular school? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-68731366

I don’t want to thank you. I might add that I also want to ‘look into’ Catholicism, Church of England, Methodism, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Quakers, Plymouth Brethren and so on. I have no interest in religion and I believe it has no place in a secular school. People can choose to believe in whatever divine entities they choose but what is the point of having a secular school if it isn’t secular? If a family is deeply religious they should send their children to a school that is suitable. Not a secular school and then expect special dispensation for their religious needs.

Really? You mean it isn’t in the Quran that secular schools in non Muslim countries must make provision for Muslim students that have shoot study there.

This is what the judge said from BBC News: ‘Dismissing the student's case, Mr Justice Linden said: "She knew that the school is secular and her own evidence is that her mother wished her to go there because it was known to be strict. "She herself says that, long before the prayer ritual policy was introduced, she and her friends believed that prayer was not permitted at school and she therefore made up for missed prayers when she got home."’ In Islam, as opposed to most other religions, prayers are required at specific times during each day. However, as the High Court ruling pointed out, Islam does allow for "Qada prayers" or a "make-up" prayer for those that have been missed.

I’m not a fan of Birbalsingh either but I think she’s correct on this. It is a secular school. So if that is in conflict with someone’s deeply held religious views, then they should go to a different school.

Drinking isn’t mentioned in that article. It’s just about smoking. I hate smoking but I’m not sure the ban on cigarette smoking is a good plan. Smoking is on a steep decline amongst young people anyway and isn’t viewed as ‘cool’. Unlike vaping. There’s a strong possibility of smoking becoming ‘cool’ again if this ban is brought in.

I’ve often said I’d be prepared to pay, within reason, more tax to give people the proper support they need to get off the streets. I can believe not all of the street people in the city centre are drug addicts. But realistically, and sadly, I strongly suspect most are. Not through choice or being lazy though. The issues they are dealing with are complex and need proper support. This is why people wanting to help should give to homeless charities and not enable addiction giving money to beggars.

Yes, and I’ve said that many times but still the replies keep coming about it being wrong to ‘blame’ immigrants. Others may possibly have done this but I certainly have not.

The trouble is though we tend to go to extremes: either ‘its all the fault of immigrants’ or a complete failure to acknowledge that is a factor at all and/or jumping on everyone who even mentions it and assuming they are a horrible, racist bigot. It is so frustrating that it’s so difficult to have a sensible, grown up conversation about this. Trying to squash people for bringing this up and trying to shut down discussion is counterproductive IMO.

I agree with most of your points but there’s that phrase about ‘blaming’ immigrants again. It’s quite possible to have genuine concerns about rapid population increase without ‘blaming’ immigrants. It’s not about ‘blaming’ them it’s about concern over immigration policy which is not the same thing. Of course if the population increases 15% in 20 years and is rising it will affect housing!! Pretending otherwise doesn’t make it not so. Of course there are other factors but you shouldn’t ignore ones you don’t want to hear about.

I was referring to this comment you made: “You may not be blaming small boat asylum seekers for the national housing shortage, but many others do.” And advised you to reply to people claiming this, rather than replying to my posts and bringing this into it.

No I haven’t ‘blamed’ small boat asylum seekers for the housing crisis. Neither for that matter have I ‘blamed’ any immigrants. On an individual level they are not to blame. I only blame the government. The reason I picked up on the ‘only 45% of asylum seekers arrive in small boats’ is partly because, as I’ve stated twice before now, I was genuinely surprised it was that high. You finally accept that I’m not ‘blaming’ asylum seekers for homelessness but yet you have replied to several of my posts addressing this issue as though I had. If other people are blaming asylum seekers, then please reply to them, not me thank you! It is very sad, that again and again we can’t have a sensible, grown up debate around unsustainable population growth (of which immigration is no small part) without getting replies trying to shut down the debate. Rough sleepers and the homeless Sheffield don’t exist in a bubble. Wider issues do have a significant bearing. You can provide additional support for rough sleepers with addiction problems but if poor, vulnerable people are struggling to pay ever increasing rents, more of them will end up in a downward spiral of poor mental health and often addiction which sadly can add to those homeless and on the street.

This point has been addressed before. COVID was an emergency and the homeless were put in emergency accommodation, often hotels. Due to there being a lockdown, hotels were not very busy and so there was far more capacity than normal. It was never going to be a sustainable or long term solution.