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

[choufleur]

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.

Piscesmoon, I do agree with what you say. Almost entirely.

I just think that the best way to foster an atmosphere with that kind of understanding and tolerance in school, is for the school to be secular in its approach. Fine if individual teachers have individual point of view, and a wealth of different experiences to share including religious ones. Fine, if they teach our children about the histories and beliefs of different religious cultures. But I think that the system at it's root should be secular.

And demisemi, I don't think that a CofE school is necessarily a guarantee of a nice school is it? We moved our son from the local CofE, very religious school, because it was quite frankly rubbish.

As an atheist I do take exception to the assumption that a non-religious school is likely to be "a scary violent and poverty stricken one". I'm not quite sure what you're trying to say there?

mrsmellowdrummer [12:56:43], of course i dont think that at all in general terms! sorry for misunderstanding there. what i meant was : the general discussion seems all about being in the luxurious position of 'that being all you have to worry about' i'm quite sure that if school was rubbish then it would be a "i shouldn't have to go private to get a good school sort of thing" discussion . I assumed the school was therefore fine apart from that.And of course i dont assume that Cof E schools are better(not having any experience of them)although i must say the way they are referred to here they seem to be considered good (dreaded religion apart of course)AND I MOST CERTAINLY DONT THINK that about non-religious schools(though it may have looked like that)The whole argument pales into insignificance compared to the horrors of bad schoolsrelgious and non-religiousthats what i mean Just be glad it's not a rubbish school and get over yourself

Cool. I did read it back a while ago, and thought I might have misunderstood you.

It is an assumption that a lot of people seem to make though. Religious school = good, and it's the unspoken implication that non-religious = bad that gets my goat. Appreciate that's not what you meant though.

I know some very poor church schools-it would be a big mistake to assume they are always good-check them out like any other school.