Think my child has come home singing a hymns

[Leish]

Er, my four year old in reception class is trying to sing a song to me that sounds a lot like the lyrics to All thing Bright and Beautiful but to a different tune. Has anyone heard the song before?

[Leish]

It is a hymn - All Things Bright and Beautiful. Excuse my ignorance but I presumed that my child wouldn't receive any religious influence at a non-religious school?

[witlesssarah]

They could be recycling the tune - new words - lots of that with kids songs. But it could be a hymn. DS came home singing one that I'm hoping is specific to Harvest and not a sign of things to come and he clearly sang various verses of thankfulness ending with "god the Father" to which he added "cha cha cha" (the addition cheered me up a bit) And he isn't at a religious school. when I asked him who god the father was though he pointed to DH - so I don't think they've had any RE with it, just the song

[Euphemyknifeinyourback]

I don't know the policy where you live, but here in Scotland even so-called non-denominational schools have to offer weekly opportunities for religious observance, and it's based in Christianity as apparently we are a Christian country.
I'd prefer there to be no religious singing in schools, but I'm not going to make a fuss about it: my DD is 8 now and we've encouraged her to make her own mind up about god.

[AMumInScotland]

Assuming you are in the UK, there is no such thing as a non-religious school. They all have a "broadly Christian" act of worship.

[Appletrees]

I would call the police.

[witlesssarah]

The secular society has a campaign to get people to try and coordinate the right to remove. Essentially, you can remove your child from the act of worship but most people don't because they don't want their child to be singled out. But if lots of people did it they wouldn't be singled out, they'd just be in another group. I'm considering canvassing to find out how many other parents would consider this, but I'm also planning a 'watch and see' approach. The song is the only thing so far, which seems ok to me, but we'll see

[Euphemyknifeinyourback]

The British Humanist Association states the following: "The BHA view is that worship is out of place in schools and that the repeated demands of recent Education Acts for collective worship that is "wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character" are unworkable, hypocritical, counter-productive and divisive."
Yay! Go them!

[JoBettany]

The British Humanist Association can state what they want. It doesn't change the law.

What witlesssarah is thinking about doing is action rather than words which is what would be required to make changes.

If you don't like something you will have to work hard to change it.

[witlesssarah]

Yes, but the problem is that its the children who would have to do the action - and most of us are unwilling to drag our children into such a heated debate. But the secular society says that at some schools its worked really well and there are non-religious activities for the large group of children who aren't in the 'act of worship' others where the children can start slightly later or finish slightly earlier

[cybbo]

lol @ appletrees

[ampere]

And, to be fair, leish unless you feel life alteringly passionate about stamping out any Christian influence in non-denom English schools, your DC is 4 - you have many battles ahead, I'd pick them carefully!

[Leish]

Appletrees - hilarious!

My personal opinion in secular in thinking and humanist.

But it's more to do with what schools are or are not supposed to be doing as per curriculum. My naive understanding from other Mum's with older kids, (we're in England by the way, just in case it makes a difference) was that nondenom schools should only teach religion from an educational perspective - because we live in a multicultural society. I got a bee in my bonnet about it last year when trying to decide which school to consider for him and all the other Mum's looked at me as if I was mad!

I may have gotten it all wrong - it might just be a song. I'll ask the teacher tomorrow.

[2shoeprintsintheblood]

don't panic if it was a hymn,
when ds was at primary(church school) he used to sing hymns instead of nursery rhymes.
but it didn't hurt him and he is now a metal head

[spanieleyes]

It's pretty hard to have a daily "broadly Christian act of worship" without throwing in the odd hymn!

[mrz]

Nondom schools in England are required by law to have a daily act of collective worship of a broadly Christian nature ... how this is interpreted varies from school to school

[Leish]

mrz - thank you! uou have answered my question. I didn't know that. And are schools obliged in any way to provide something non-religious whilst the christian kids are worshipping? Where did you find all this out? Could you send me a good link to a website. Thanks.

Blimey, ampere, you're right. It would be a constant fight!

I'll have to check with the school tomorrow to see what the alternative is.

[mrz]

www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/atoz/c/collectiveworship/ you have a right to withdraw your child from collective worship and schools aren't required to offer any alternative

[Leish]

Mrz - excellent. thanks again.