Polly Toynbee’s articles are always worth reading, but to keep religion out of schools is, in my view, quite wrong (Banning prayer rituals in school? Just get religion out of education completely, 23 January). Her article makes it very clear that what is needed is the best education possible for every child – and every child is an individual with individual needs. There is no “one size fits all”, though there are basic matters that all children should learn, starting with reading and writing. Michaela community school has a regimen which to me sounds like a prison, but it seems to work for the children who attend and for their parents. But I do not think that the present problems, which seem to relate to bullying and coercion, will be solved through inflexibility.
Surely it is vital for children to learn about religions and philosophy in school, just as they need to know about geography, history, languages and many more subjects, as well as having tuition in art, music, sciences etc. All these things are crucial parts of how the world and its denizens operate and how they are interlocked. If you want to enjoy Shakespeare’s work, it helps to know about the historical context, the geographical references, the social mores and the religious beliefs of the time. Children must learn how to think and reason for themselves, rather than learning to behave like robots.
