At Walther von der Vogelweide high school in Bolzano, the start of the new school year on September 8th will begin with a Mass at a nearby church. After the Mass and attendance taken at the church, they will then walk each student up to their respective classrooms.
This is completely contrary to public education. But in addition, non-Catholic kids are forced into a situation where they need to show that they do not share that faith, taking away their privacy.
One parent complained to the school and the principal said they would take the child to class if they did not want to join in the Mass, but how does that help the child socially by singling her out?
It is absurd that this is still happening, and that schools still conduct religious rituals for the benefit of the students during class time. If we want to give schools the opportunity to be inclusive and fair as possible, religious rituals should not be encouraged in public education.
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Christianity is the base of our Western culture. Also in Vienna there are Christian schools that start and end the school year with a mass. Why not?
Nobody is forced to join the masses, but more importantly, nobody is forced to bring their kid to this particular school.
But those Christian schools in Vienna are very good schools, I know it first hand.
And in those schools the kids are not brain washed that there is only one God, etc., like in schools of certain other religions, if you know what I mean,
The thing is, this is a state school not a Christian school; state school are secular as is the state itself
On this i agree and i perfectly know what you mean