Religious Schools: Does Segregation Breed Contempt?
One of the strongest arguments against religious based education is that when children are segregated from the general public they lose the ability to relate to others in a positive way. Whether the separation is based on religion, on race or on intelligence, the theory is that the very fact that they are being taught in separate environments encourages exclusionism.
Many religions specifically teach that there is only one true god, or that their belief is the only true belief. The essence of this kind of teaching encourages children to be intolerant of other belief systems. Likewise schools based on a specific race teach history from that race's point of view in a way that could easily breed hatred and mistrust of people of other races. Even schools based on intelligence offer those in those schools a chance to become elitist and to look down on those who are not capable of qualifying for their particular school.
While this can happen, it can also happen within the public system. Because children naturally tend to pick on those they perceive as "different" they will exclude those who do not fit in even in a mixed congregation. Because of this many students learn to hide who they really are to avoid persecution. While it is difficult to hide your race unless you are of mixed heritage, other things are far easier to conceal. Many highly intelligent children try to hide their test results or even make deliberate efforts to perform poorly in order to fit in with the crowd. Children who have learning disabilities tend to act out and get into drug and other negative behaviors to fit in with their perceived version of their peer group. Students from religious backgrounds will hide their beliefs and even lose faith in themselves and their religion.
The sad thing is that because of peer pressure many of these children self-destruct. By being forced to hide who they really are they stop believing in themselves. They lose their self esteem and are prone to depression. Some take negative life paths and others just quit. Others make it through seemingly undamaged, but have lost those things that make them unique.
There are some children who can resist these peer pressures. If they are lucky enough to find like-minded peer groups they can even develop their strengths and even spread their positive message to those around them. Sadly though, these kids are in the minority.
A well based system of schools that give individuals with exceptional qualities the chance to excel with like-minded peers give the best opportunity for success to all involved. Whether schools based on educating gifted students or for helping those with learning abilities, or based on teaching about cultural differences, or based on religion, a segregated system can be helpful to everyone involved. If students are taught that everyone is different and the differences should be embraced, not just tolerated, there will be less hate and contempt between different cultural, religious and intellectual groups.
In fact, the public system in many ways encourages negative views on people who are different by suggestion that everyone should be the same. By saying that all kids should be taught at the same level rather than working with those who need to be excelled or to be offered extra assistance students are taught that everyone should be working at the same level. Being intelligent or learning disabled is not rewarded in such as system - it is punished. By mixing students of all races together and teaching a curriculum that is based on a single cultural experience rather than celebrating the cultural differences and teaching programs on all different cultures students are taught that there is only one acceptable world view. By removing religion and religious teach from the schools students are taught that faith is not important and that there is no need to nourish one's soul, instead it is purely man-made gibberish that may not even have a Higher Purpose.
Religious schools offer a chance for kids to learn about the religion that makes them who they are. By celebrating their differences they can learn tolerance for those who are different from them. Segregation can in fact be a positive thing and certainly can help those who are suffering from being pulled into the melting pot of the public system.
