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.

Ah 😰I’ve just unintentionally said what they had to write. Ah well, it’s not the end of the world. For anyone who wanted to know that’s the exact wording and yes I know I’m now going to get slaughtered for not saying it sooner.

It's not ok op.

They shouldn't have been put in the position of choosing to write it or not he allowed to enter

'Jesus saved me' is a pretty crappy thing to get them to write even if they are Christian imo

Obviously they could and should have been more inclusive, there should have been the option to declare their faith, whatever it was, in whatever terms they wanted.

Even if it was “science rules”, “there are no invisible beings”, “lucifer is my light”, “satan owns me” etc.

I’m off to colour some posters, just inspired myself.

"Jesus saved me" ???
Yeah, that's just not on.
What denomination is the church which keeps sending ministers in to talk to the children?
It feels off.

A lot of people seem to be totally missing the point too with the whole "You can't win a prize if you don't enter" thing. Well yes, obviously... but the school should not be running a competition which means that several children have to exclude themselves because they don't want to write "Jesus saved me".

Bloody hell, that's even worse than my assumption! I'd thought it would be unreasonable to tell children to write "Christ is Risen". Jesus saved me is a really raw expression of personal devotion.

Good luck with this, OP. I'd have difficulty keeping my cool in your place, and I don't even care about religion! You're a better woman than me, evidently.

The local church is CofS but they have a Baptist service that takes place there too. I am not entirely sure which denomination the school volunteers are. They’re not ministers, they’re just members of the congregation who come over to the school for these sessions.

The school/church tandem is trying to brainwash the children (what's new). It's using prizes to help it do that.
We had similar at our C of E primary school. The school had a strict policy of no sweets being allowed in school. But there was a weekly lunchtime Christian club which children were encouraged to go to. The big incentive being that sweets were available on tap. The Head was well aware of this (but I wrote to her about it anyway).

Of course they are upset.

'Say you are a Christian, get chocolate' is really not on.

WWJD? Not this.

And this is rather worrying They’re not ministers, they’re just members of the congregation who come over to the school for these sessions

If there's choc prizes to be won, I'd willing take part, afterall all religions are made by human's for human's

I thought you weren't allowed to promote a particular faith in a non denominational school. I think this is very off

I wouldn't be happy about random congregation members coming in (whether Baptist or CofS). They are probably untrained - at least regarding what is and isn't acceptable in a school situation. They might have training to lead youth groups etc in their church but not aware that a different approach has to be taken in a school setting where there are children of other faiths or none to be considered too.
If schools are going to have ministers/leaders coming in, it should be one of the religious leaders and not a random and they should be there for a specific purpose relating to the RE curriculum.
Definitely complain OP, it's not on. And you say there have been other issues with "problematic views" - were these also being taught by these congregation members?

How do you know that no nonChristian kids participated? My sister is agnostic and her DC go to a Catholic Primary. They participate in everything despite not being Christians- including church services, singing in the choir and so on.

You don’t have to believe it to do it, only respect it.

What amazes me about these schools is that they are so unsuccessful at converting the children. I was once in the school corridor during classroom hours and I saw my child's teacher (with a class of 5/6 year olds) with all the children on the floor with their hands in the prayer position. One little Muslim girl didn't have her head bowed or her hands folded for prayer, and the teacher literally forced her head down and forced her hands together. The classrooms all had little class altars too. 1/3 of the children were Muslim. And a family of Muslim children were expelled for unpicking the cross that featured on the school uniform.

It is an ND school regardless of any links to a local C of S. Whilst schools will vary re what said link is ( some will have end of term church assemblies , or Ministers visiting, this is massively overstepping imo. Particularly as it was done partly within a classroom. I’d be contacting the Education department concerned, not necessarily the Head in the first instance. I suspect the Head is allowing, if not encouraging it.

I had reason to call my education department almost twenty years ago about something not exactly the same but similar happening in my DD’s school. Interestingly there was a temporary acting Head at the time. The Ed Department were very clear about what was appropriate. What was going on wasn’t, and was stopped.

My kids would have entered

That's really not the point

@AP5Diva because my kids could name most of the kids who didn’t go up. There weren’t many, it’s a village school in rural Scotland- everyone knows everyone.

It seems they didn't know the chocolate was on offer and probably would have joined in if they did

Oh same here! Sorry I disappeared to sort food out.
My DS loved BoTW and he can’t wait for the second one, he hasn’t played many of the older versions but he did really enjoy skyward sword, I’d love ocarina of time to get remastered!

Apart from all the other reasons I just can't understand why the teachers aren't objecting to this. It's just outrageous to be promoting a competition like this in school, and to then give out chocolate eggs to all but a few in the class. What teacher would ever find that acceptable?
Perhaps the vicar could have blessed the eggs and shared them between all present, loaves and fishes springs to mind.

Why is a non-faith school having a Christian group coming in weekly to talk about Jesus?! if lots of different groups came in to discuss varied things, absolutely fine. But this sounds like a Christian school on the sly.

I think you would be within your rights to complain about this and the competition.

They should have made it a profession of your faith for those of all religions. Surely that should be pretty obvious for a non denominational school.

But anyone not entering shouldn’t get a prize.

OK I'll rephrase is for you Christian but not Roman Catholic.

So every other Christian sect if you like, Church of Scotland,
Free church,
Episcopalian Church
Reformed Presbyterian
Evangelical Church
Free Presbyterian Church
Baptist
Those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head, I'm sure there are others.

Scotland has provision for RC schools through the Central belt, less so in the rural areas.
Most people are in the catchment for 2 primaries and 2 secondaries, one being RC and one non-denomational.

From citizens advice: Indirect discrimination is when there’s a practice, policy or rule which applies to everyone in the same way, but it has a worse effect on some people than others. The Equality Act says it puts you at a particular disadvantage.

A lot of kids uncomfortable or didn't want to take part, because of a protected characteristic, and they were at a disadvantage as a result... I'd complain!!