Right after a scandal that riled everybody up.

Is the best time to discuss rational policy when a large group of discussants is pissed off and it's both a personal and moral issue?

Is there something going on on DU that I am unaware of?

and the cross-party talks Labour is calling for. One of the biggest news stories recently here has been what the OP referred to as "the recent controversy in Birmingham, where six non-faith schools have been put into special measures and a further five criticised following allegations of a plot by hardline Muslims to infiltrate them". See, for instance http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/jun/17/trojan-horse-affair-five-lessons-help-schools (though it's harder to find a good point to start reading about it).

Unlike Igel, however, I think that this is as good a time as any to discuss it. You can't just say "we mustn't discuss this until there's been a period in which all faith schools, and religious involvement in state education, has been going fine", or the conclusion would always be "well, we can see it doesn't do any harm, so we'll let it continue".

Anyway, thought this was a good move and will be interested in following it.

Public schools didn't have any religious instruction. Catholic confirmation classes (CCC) were held after school hours at a church on Wednesdays. I think Jewish instruction was the same, there were weekday or weekend classes held at a synagogue.

Catholic schools, of course, included religious instruction. CCC was every Wednesday afternoon during school hours. There was an opt out in my time.

As far as I know, private religious schools do not receive any public funding, but they can indirectly receive it through these two programs.

To be honest, I don't keep abreast of the situations much. So most of my experience is dated.

we have a public/private system, and the lines should be much clearer as to the divide between sectarian, religious schools and secular public schools. Voucher systems muddy the waters too much.

But, its better than it was in the past, when public schools in many areas were officially Protestant, hence the existence of extensive Catholic school systems and colleges in the United States. When riots broke out between the two groups over whose prayer will open the school day, etc. Thanks to the Supreme Court, a line was drawn, and it should NOT be erased now. Religion should have no endorsement or preference in public schools, period.

If people want their children to be given religious instruction and indoctrination, they should do so on their own dime and time. Whether Sunday school or some other after-hours, not school affiliated religious program, or religious schools they pay to enroll their kids into, in any case, such things should not be subsidized or funded by taxpayer money. I know its not always so, but it should be like this.

Of course, I also think that school districts should be funded through common pools of money, a combination of state, federal and local taxes that are distributed based on enrollment numbers and need, and stop relying on property taxes to fund such things.