There is a similar argument made for preserving indigenous tribes in the rainforest. Contact with the outside leads to the contamination of consumerism. So some argue that its best to leave them innocent and malnourished, rather than letting them face the choices we do.

Education is our only real hope for a future, and an education based on factual truth is the right of all. If this means religion will suffer, then so be it.

Basic education for all should be a right in modern society today. Without it people as a whole cannot work towards the good of that society.

Your reasoning is sound. in addition, we are individuals and our individual rights are important, but we're also members of an organization, maybe more than one organization, certainly the civil organization we loosely refer to as "society" and by which we also sometimes mean our governmental structure -- our SELF-governmental structure (theoretically -- these days that's eroding fast). it is impossible for self-government (through representation in our case) to work with an ignorant, gullible populace, especially since predators can manipulate such a populace with ease -- manipulate them into anger and violence, as well as into voting and otherwise acting against their own self-interest. secular education is vital. if people want to indoctrinate their kids at home and at church with all kinds of supernatural crap, that's sad but they have that right. this makes it even MORE important to give kids the resources they need to withstand such influences, or at least push them into the background to the extent that they don't take precedence over practical matters.

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The big problem I see is that, like everything else, education is a resource. Like most resources it is limited. Teachers here are getting ready to strike. This despite $1 billion in new funding. Poorer regions/countries lack funding for even basic education. That drags everyone down. When people go to other places it also drags down those places.

In the UK all faith schools are govt funded. This means they must adhere to certain requirements.

"Following the 2010 Academy Act, many faith schools converted to Academy status, and are sometimes known as Faith Academies. Many Free Schools have also been created with a religious designation, and these are also sometimes referred to as Faith Academies. All academies can set pay and conditions for staff, and are not obliged to follow the National Curriculum.[9] However the Department for Education "will not approve any application where we have any concerns about creationism being taught as a valid scientific theory, or about schools failing to teach evolution adequately as part of their science curricula."[10][11]

Voluntary Aided and Voluntary Controlled faith schools follow the same National Curriculum as state schools, with the exception of religious studies, where they are free to limit it to their own beliefs"

I believe that anyone who has never graduated from high school should be forever banned from receiving any welfare. Force all high school kids to be serious about learning to support themselves.

I don't claim to be a "humanist", but I do adhere to their basic principles.
That said, I absolutely believe that we should provide secular public education for
all children in this country.
I don't think non-secular education should even be an option, but that's another
argument for another thread.

I have many qualms with what we call mandatory educational teachings. I also can't comprehend how critical thinking is not taught.

"to promote the common welfare, and to secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity".

the mission statement in the preamble to the Constitution directly support mandating early education, since to secure both the common welfare and the blessings of liberty REQUIRES an informed and educated populace.

Education is like vaccination. It must be mandatory.