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'Unique' combined Jewish/Catholic school campus gets underway

March 25 2016

'Unique' combined Jewish/Catholic school campus gets underway
Renfrewshire Council has begun work on a unique joint faith primary schools campus at newton Mearns, bringing together pupils from the Jewish and Catholic backgrounds in what is said to be a world first.

The £18.2m school will replace the existing Jewish School at Calderwood Lodge as well as playing host to a new Catholic primary school for the area.

East Renfrewshire director of education Mhairi Shaw commented: “From the initial idea we have been consulting with pupils, staff, parents, leaders of both faith communities and the local community and all have helped shaped the plans and designs for this unique schools’ campus.

“It will respect and nurture children’s individual religious faiths while at the same time delivering inspiring spaces for learning, teaching and social integration.

“Each school will have their own distinct areas but the hub proposal, with its radical design, offers a new and innovative approach to learning and teaching.”

Designed by BDP the new campus will adopt segregated entrances for both schools which will also retain their own teaching wings and head teachers. A central ‘amphitheatre’ however will serve as a shared space where children from both communities can mingle.

Both schools will also share a playground as well as art, drama, music, science and sport facilities.

The new school is being built on a site opposite Mearns Castle High and will welcome its first pupils in August 2017.

4 Comments

clive
#1 Posted by clive on 28 Mar 2016 at 11:28 AM
'unique' and backward step.

this is a cost cutting exercise, and does not fully integrate the faiths. There should be NO separation by faith in publicly funded education.
The children remain largely separated all day, based on the text above.

“It will respect and nurture children’s individual religious faiths"
no it wont - it will reinforce / indoctrinate them into the faith of their parents.
The Spanish Inquisition
#2 Posted by The Spanish Inquisition on 28 Mar 2016 at 16:28 PM
#1 - Thus spake UR's resident secularist.

The trouble is Clive, belief in a power greater than 'democratically'-elected councils, or in yourself, or the state, is a reality, believe it or not, and so the question actually is - how can the building of a pluralistic ecumenicist world where differing belief systems can co-exist in compassion tolerance and understanding best be achieved?

It would appear to me that this modest proposal as outlined above is a step in the right direction.

I do have to say brother, from the above, maybe education may calm yer jets. To that end, I would humbly suggest an epiphanous visit to youtube and in particular: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yocVGSGNrBc as a taster to 'around the world in 80 religions'. It's entertaining and has bugger all to do with 'religion'. Go on, dimiss nothing prior to investigation, i dare ya.
D to the R
#3 Posted by D to the R on 28 Mar 2016 at 22:30 PM
Gents ... this isn't the place for pseudo religious / political bartering .... can we just get back to slagging the benign architecture please?
Rodderick
#4 Posted by Rodderick on 29 Mar 2016 at 10:59 AM
an £18.1M School ?
let at £13.1 according to Public Contracts Scotland.
http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=MAR238428

£5m under budget....that bodes well



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