in support of Religious Education in schools

I'm not quite sure what this petition is actually for, is there more info on another page? RE's already taught in secondary schools isn't it (at least up to choosing GCSEs)?

Happy for someone to clarify, mine aren't at secondary yet.

And obviously also traditional beliefs from Australasia, both American continents and Africa...

Deed it is so not indoctrination. Like it or not religion has been and still is major part of human psychology, bahaviour, society, ethics, art, architecture and so on. Saying that teaching about this is indoctrination is as silly as saying teaching about nazis is indoctrination into racism.
People may not be religious themselves but that doesn't change the fact that in the world most people are. If you want children to learn about different moral viewpoints as they apply in the world today religion is a superb place to start, cream tea.

I can remember telling my RE teacher that I didn't think RE should be taught in schools. (This was at secondary school, and I dropped R.E. before O-level so I think it was some kind of general studies lesson. ).

However, now I am older and wiser I have completely changed my mind. People need to know about the history of belief and the differences between catholics and protestants and muslims and jews, now more than ever.

Also, the difference between Abrahamic religions and traditional chinese belief systems.

You could do all of this in history/geography/sociology, but its such a big topic that why wouldn't you have a whole subject called R.E?

God forbid that it should ever be taught as science...

Whilst I think children need to know about religions, I think RE is an anachronism.

If we want children to understand the world that they live in and different moral viewpoints, then philosophy and sociology would be a much better way to go.

Waste of time. I did it at secondary school and although it was easy to do well in I would rather have had extra maths or English lessons in its place. A waste of a valuable teaching slot if you ask me.

I'm very much in favour of Religious Education in schools. Children need to be taught about religions - which is a very different thing from indoctrination (or should be). I've heard the likes of Dan Dennett bemoaning the lack of religious education in American schools - kids there tend to only be exposed to whatever their family espouses.

But not in favour of this petition.

'He has expressed a desire to 'work with faith groups to improve RE teaching'

RE should absolutely not be the preserve of faith groups! Its vastly better than in my day when it was Christianity and not much else, but it still does not sufficiently include other world views, philosophy and ethics. By including that sentence, the petition skews towards maintaining the privileges of faith groups.

I prefer teaching pupils to evaluate different points of view about complex moral issues to enable them to decide where they stand on the spectrum of opinion rather than indoctrination ded ...

How is this indoctrination?

From the petition: "RE promotes the development of a wide range of skills and attitudes, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, tolerance, positive citizenship, community cohesion, communication, self-confidence and independent thought."

I think it's very worthwhile - a real opportunity to think and to consider other perspectives.

Yeuch indoctrination

I'm head of RE in a secondary school! I support it! :)