Only Christian kids given a prize

[IDontWantRealism]

Can someone help me see reason with this? My kids are atheist but Jewish by ancestry. They go to a non-denominational school but in a very traditional rural area with lots of Christian students. They ran a competition which involved making a profession of faith over Easter. Obviously my kids didn’t enter but many others did. We were told there would be a prize but today at school all children who entered were given a prize leaving out the few non-Christian children and the few other children who didn’t enter. That’s not ok is it? I need some help navigating this as the school have form. We’ve previously had to moan about them being taught other problematic views.

I think it was the nature of the very personal nature of the wording that the OP is objecting to here. When I think about it, our school has a Christmas card competition every year. But you don't have to be religious to draw a snowman or a Christmas tree. Similary, an Easter card could have a Spring/new life theme. I'm guessing the OP wouldn't have objected to that.

But this isn't a religious school so it's completely inappropriate for the phrase "Jesus saved me" to be used in a competition! If it was a catholic or baptist school that would be a completely different matter.

@caringcarer you actually don't know that no-one prevented the non-Christian kids taking part. It's not comparable to a Sixth form where students can make up their own minds.

Op and other parents may well have ticked a box months or years ago saying they don't want their kids to take part in Christian stuff.

A non-denominational school is probably the equivalent of a CoE school. For historic reasons Scotland has Non-denominational and RC schools.

@CurlewKate so they did not want to join in. No one was making them. They are only moaning because they did not get chocolate. Would they really care if no chocolate was given out?

@caringcarer

I'd care. Regardless of chocolate

The 'competition' shouldn't have happened

Where has Op said her DC didn't want to join in?

Your right the kids probably wouldn't have bothered if it was like any other competition with 1 or 2 kids in each class getting a prize.

But you don't go giving out chocolate to every kid in a school except the non-Christian.
Really in what world is that acceptable, love thy neighbour, and all that?

Op I am curious where roughly are you?

Children who were prepared to colour in the statement "Jesus saved me" were given chocolate. Those who were not prepared to colour in that statement were not given chocolate.
That was exclusionary because "Jesus saved me" is a very specific statement of belief which many children can not profess because they were either of another religion or atheist.
"Jesus saved me" is particularly problematic for a Jewish child for instance. It's disgusting to basically give the child the choice between participating in something which is completely contrary to their entire belief system and receiving some chocolate or not participating and having to watch all those who did receive the chocolate.

The whole thing is a disgrace and should not have been allowed to happen. There sounds like there are other issues in the school relating to this as the OP refers to the children being taught other "problematic views", which she does not elaborate on and it seems as if untrained random members of a congregation are coming into school and doing this.

A competition with a choice of statements or a general "In the springtime I celebrate..." type wording would have given everyone the chance to participate by either choosing to mention their own religious celebration, or some sort of Christian statement "In the springtime I celebrate Jesus coming back to life" or "In the springtime I celebrate new life" with illustrations.

But I don't know why I am bothering writing all this out because of a couple of people on here are either deliberately missing the point or don't want to understand why this is a problem.

You are wilfully ignoring the point. If the competition required a child to say why they were proud to be white, or male, or able bodied, I assume you would recognise the blatant discrimination. Forced imposition of religion or imposed segregation isn't a good look in a modern democracy.

@IDontWantRealism Did you hear anything back from the school?

@caringcarer it's not about whether the children care or not. It's about a school acting in an exclusionary way, and pushing a Christian agenda.

The thing they had to colour said 'Jesus Lives'. I don't know where this 'Jesus Save Me' came from.

@caringcarer

Read the thread maybe?

From the OP who was very clear that 'Jesus Lives' wasn't actually what it said she just didn't want the thread to be outing, then she accidentally told us that it said 'Jesus saved me' and they had to copy it from the board.

So possibly the parent who is complaining prevented their child from participating as they did not want them participating in Christian stuff. Then complains, they didn't get a prize for participating.

I hope the school is really embarrassed and has a proper think. When I was 9 or so I began to think it was a bit wierd that my school made us all recite the CofE creed: I knew not everyone believed it. It was the 1960s! And then when my own kids went to primary school in the noughties, blow me if rhey weren't all dutifully singin "make me a channel of your love" etc etc - though presumably far fewer of rhe children or staff believed any of it by then. It's so weird

But then it's not the only irrational belief system promoted by the school system

Firstly, they had to write it, not just colour it. Second, as PP says that wasn't the phrase.

For many children this would be blasphemous or a straight lie. Do you think we should encourage children to do either? With a bride of chocolate?

Bribe

To answer a couple of questions- the exact phrase was “Jesus saved me”. We are in the rural far north of Scotland, it’s a lovely community but gossip travels like wildfire which is why I’m being vague on the specific area. The Head sent a holding reply but has offered us a meeting on Thursday.

Are you trying to be a wideo?

It's one thing ticking the box to say I wish to withdraw my children from instruction in religious education and from religious observance.

Its another running religious competitions knowing some children will have been withdrawn from even entering.

How can you not see that will cause resentment and hurt to little kids. Scotland has enough issues with religious bigotry without schools fueling it.

@IDontWantRealism I had a feeling you might be in the far north or possibly the Isles. Because I really didn't think it was something that would happen in the central belt.

I really hope you get a resolution and your kids are OK.

@caringcarer Do you think it's OK for schools to proselytise?

I can only assume that some posters are so happy with the fact that English and Welsh state schools have a legal obligation to promote Christianity that they refuse to understand or engage with any opposing viewpoint. I find the performative obtuseness completely baffling.

It's so unlike the Christians I'm friends with. They'd find this baffling too.

I mean you don't welcome people by manipulating and forcing them. It's so odd.

This would only be non discriminatory if the school ran similar competitions for all other faiths and for non believers. If the school only chooses to celebrate one religion's festivals and it is a non religious school then it is discrimination. But you know this.

Sadly @MrsTerryPratchett, it's par for the course for many Christians in my circle-the wide eyed "can't see the problem/Bible stories/need to know about Christianity to understand literature" The complete pretend inability to be able to distinguish between teaching about faith and teaching how to practice faith.