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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think that schools shouldn't just be filling DD's head with God

131 replies

choufleur · 21/09/2010 18:11

Ok he's only 4 and only in 3rd week in reception but he's come home talking about how God made the world and we're in His hands, and he's just thanked God for his tea.

I don't believe in God. Up til now I've tried to explain to DS that some people believe in God, some people believe in other Gods and actually creationism is not real we evolved.

Tell me they will also teach him about other beliefs please.

OP posts:

booyhoo · 21/09/2010 18:59

why did you send him to a christian school OP. surely logic would ahve told you that he would learn about God at a christian school? i really do not understand people who do this.

PixieOnaLeaf · 21/09/2010 19:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Itsjustafleshwound · 21/09/2010 19:01

He is 4 yo - the whole evolution theory is also 'just a story' ... I went to a Jewish school for the 1st few years of my life and if anything, I have a better understanding of them ... and I still like my bacon butty!!

Takver · 21/09/2010 19:02

I love all these 'why didn't you send your dc to a different school' posters. Well, round here that would mean at the very least a trip of 45 minutes each way, twice a day. (And I am only assuming that there would be a primary school with less of a focus on religion in the county town)

So would you suggest putting a 5 year old in the car for 3 hours every day? And if not, does that mean that it is completely out of order to hope that there will be at least some acknowledgement of the religious diversity of 21st C Britain, and that teachers should accept that not all (say maybe 5%) of their class are going to be practicing Christians?

Original poster

choufleur · 21/09/2010 19:03

Because it's 2 minutes from the house and all other local village schools are also CofE and I wanted him to go to school with people who live close by so that he is friends with people who he can play with easily.

I missposted DD in the title. I definitely have a boy.

OP posts:

pointydog · 21/09/2010 19:03

Are you campaigning against CoE schools, takver? Are you campaigning for more non-CiE schools?

booyhoo · 21/09/2010 19:04

oh fgs of course he will be learning other things. kids tell you about the stuff they find the most ineresting. a CofE school is going to make 'God' interesting and teach it in a fun way so tha the children listen and pat attention.

Original poster

choufleur · 21/09/2010 19:04

Is there a link to a campaign Pointydog?

OP posts:

pointydog · 21/09/2010 19:04

Complaining that a CoE school preaches christianity and campaigning to govt (local anf central) about the lack of choice are two very different things.

Takver · 21/09/2010 19:05

No, pointydog, because I'm already busy campaigning for lots of other things (biodiversity, climate change, food security) which, bottom line, I think are more vital to our future. But it still pisses me off.

I do express my views on the matter to my local MP, AM, those coming round soliciting election etc. etc.

booyhoo · 21/09/2010 19:06

takver 45 minutes each way doesn't mean 3 hours in the car for the child. the child doesn't do the return journey on drop off or the go to journey on collection so it would be 90 minutes for the child per day.

pointydog · 21/09/2010 19:07

I don't know of a campaign. We don't have this issue in Scotland.

But if I was faced with this issue, I would look into it and at the very least write to my MP, MSP and director of education. You could start your own campaign.

electra · 21/09/2010 19:09

YABU - if you feel so strongly about it don't send him to a C of E school. My dd goes to a catholic school and comes home saying similar - I expect it tbh.

Takver · 21/09/2010 19:10

That is very true, booyhoo - fortunately dd's school is good at teaching arithmetic, so I don't have to intervene there

I still stand by my point though that it is not practical in many rural areas to take ones child to a less religious school.

booyhoo · 21/09/2010 19:11

QueenOfFlamingEverything · 21/09/2010 19:12

oh come on, its unrealistic to expect evryone to have the spare fuel money for driving their DC to the nearest non-church school.

it would be 100 odd miles a week for us! we don't all live in urban areas - for some people, the nearest 3/4/5 schools are all church schools.

op - YANBU. i posted about a not dissimilar problem last week.

QueenOfFlamingEverything · 21/09/2010 19:15

the church has a bit of a monopoly on education in some rural areas.

doesn't mean everyone who lives there has to like it, or agree with it

TheSistersGrim · 21/09/2010 19:15

YABU to think that a CofE school shouldn't mention God.

YANBU to expect a local non religious school. Frankly I don't understand how the CofE/govenment get gets away with a system that means the CofE don't contribute financially and don't control admissions but there is no obligation to provide a non church controlled alternative local school. Its ludicrous that in some rural areas every village has a CofE school and there is no alternative for miles.

They will teach him about other believes and the CofE officially supports Darwinian based evolution (as does the Catholic church).

Anenome · 21/09/2010 19:18

You can teach him yourself about other religions...also I mean...he must watch Cbeebies no? There's loads on there bout different cultures and religions....they teach about Jewish and Muslim and other religions..I have seen them.

My DD goes to an independant "Christian" school...which is basically the same as yours...prayer before meals etc....and the vicar pops in....they do teach other things though...I dont go to church but I also think it is good for kids to experience it...ou can probaly opt out if you want...(bit of a fuss though)

So I suggest you talk to him about other religions. You are being a BIT unreasonable..it's a COFE school..so they will "fill his head" with it...

StayingDavidTennantsGirl · 21/09/2010 19:19

My point about the simultaneous equations etc was a somewhat sarcastic way of saying that there is lots of stuff in the national curriculum, and you do need to give your school a bit of time before worrying that they haven't covered things.

pointydog · 21/09/2010 19:23

So in england, people live in areas where all nearby schools are CoE and you are not making a darn big fuss about it?

NonnoMum · 21/09/2010 19:24

IF it helps, you can explain to him, that when wealthy industrialists were sending children down mines and up chimneys, some silly Christian people thought it might be a better idea to educate the young children of the parish, and campaigned to create schools for the little blighters. Thus the tradition of free schooling in this country started. No wonder the little soot-covered monsters thanked God regularly.

You can then continue on how (v v broadly) education continued to evolve, and has now created lots of different thoughts and ways of life, including people who don't want to thank God before they eat their butties.

Or you can just let him sing, "The whole world in his hands" and save that argument for another day.

Original poster

choufleur · 21/09/2010 19:25

I don't feel that strongly about it. I just think it should be balanced. I would prefer it if state schools were secular.

We really don't have a choice of other local schools that are not CofE and I think him having friends nearby is more important than a biased view towards religion.

OP posts:

thisisyesterday · 21/09/2010 19:26

if you send your child to a church school they will teach them all about god.

if you don;t like it change schools

we are atheists. we send ds1 to a church school because it is close, it is small and it has a lovely atmosphere. when he comes home saying god does this that and the other we just say "yes, that's what school think, other people think x/y/z"

salizchap · 21/09/2010 19:28

Don't stress. Your child will have plenty of years of having it drummed into him/her that there is no other truth than the big bang theory, that science has the answer to all things and we humans know it all.

By the time he/she is a teenager all they will be interested in is getting it off with the bit of tottie in class and how to score some blow.

God won't get a look in. So chill! You have so many more important things to worry about.

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