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Original poster

My 5 year old niece was told to go home and pray

490 replies

freyjasauntie · 21/07/2011 10:56

I am really upset that my 5 year old niece was told by her school teacher to go home and pray at bedtime. Although she goes to a C of E school, this is due to logistics of living in the country, and the school are aware that she is being raised atheist, (she was enrolled as such) with a view to letting her decide her own path when she is ready to understand what that entails.

If a Muslim teacher had told her girls to go home and wear hijab, there would be uproar, but it seems to be accepted that schools can promote Christian ideology. I have no problems with my niece being taught about Jesus, about being kind to each other, about truth telling and other so called Christian Values (which can be found in almost any religion) but I strongly object to her being told to give up something for Lent (she had no idea why she should do so), and to pray at bedtime.

Religious Education should be EDUCATION, as a qualified RE teacher, I have always presented all world religious as equally valuable, but there is a real difference between education and what I believe is insidious indoctrination.

OP posts:
MrSpoc · 21/07/2011 14:12

I dont have a set religion but i am not stupid enough to send my child to a faith school and be upset with the teachings.

MK your sister said you and hubby were of mixed minds. When you came on here all guns blazing I can only assume that you and OP hare just trying to rail road your partner into your way of thinking. I guess you never got the responses you both wanted.

And home schooling is an option if you hate faith schools so much. Same as moving out of the area. Yes sounds drastic but sounds like Op & MK are used to drastic measures.

Cocoflower · 21/07/2011 14:12

I dont get your argument Blu... so the faith schools are funded (in SOME cases some are not) by the LA

That money comes from tax payers many who will be of faith, so technically we are paying for the faith school anyway.

soverylucky · 21/07/2011 14:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsKravitz · 21/07/2011 14:13

Its equally distasteful inflicting atheist values and views on here IMO. Let the kid choose.

MrsKravitz · 21/07/2011 14:13

her, not here (I bloody proof read too)

seeker · 21/07/2011 14:16

Two points.

There are no such things as atheist values.

And how is telling a child to say its prayers in the evening "letting the kid choose"?

This is a state school!

tabulahrasa · 21/07/2011 14:16

Living in a rural area limits your choices, it doesn't take them away though. You can, send your child to the faith school, home school, send them to an out of area school or move.

It is still a choice to send them to a faith school.

houseofheave · 21/07/2011 14:18

Well this moved on a bit didn't it.
If I didn't know better I'd think that not only did the school teach about prayer, but they also made sock puppets in craft classes.

Cocoflower · 21/07/2011 14:18

It's a FAITH state school for the last time. Good grief!

houseofheave · 21/07/2011 14:19

Grin @ atheist values

I don't think there's a prescribed set!

2teens2tots · 21/07/2011 14:19

what happens if your niece decides to believe in god? will you tell her she is wrong? because if so then you are impressing your beliefs on her. If her parents feel so strongly about her being taught about praying and lent etc then surely don't send her to a Cof E school.

soverylucky · 21/07/2011 14:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

squeakytoy · 21/07/2011 14:21

It will still be state funded CF.

seeker · 21/07/2011 14:21

"Living in a rural area limits your choices, it doesn't take them away though. You can, send your child to the faith school, home school, send them to an out of area school or move.

It is still a choice to send them to a faith school."

No it bloody isn't!

Blu · 21/07/2011 14:23

Cocoflower - yes, funded by the taxpayer.
And the taxpayer in rural areas, where there is often NO ALTERNATIVE to a faith school should have more choice than to have thier children told to pray, or home school.

Before you 'FFS' at anyone else, consider the point that making a pro-active choice to send a child to a faith school, when you had other choices available - such as a community primary - as we do in cities is completely differnt to being a taxpayer and having no other school available than a faith school. Of course some parents will be unghappy that thier children are being told to pray in that situation.

seeker · 21/07/2011 14:24

"As a previous poster stated it was probably that they were learning about prayer that day. If you want to decide whether you like something or not you have to try it

Would you apply this to devil worship? Sex education? Drugs?

Blu · 21/07/2011 14:26

tabulharasa - have you experienced the (absent) public bus service in parts of rural Norfolk, that would enable you to send a 5 year old 'out of area'? maybe 30 miles away to the nearest non-faith primary???

Are you prepared to tell parents on low oncomes that one must give up their job to home ed?

MrSpoc · 21/07/2011 14:27

I used to live in a very Rural Village in the West Country. I didnt like my choices so I moved to Manchester. So yes you do have a choice. Just one choice is easier than the other. If the school was so bad then they would make that difficult decision.

soverylucky · 21/07/2011 14:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cocoflower · 21/07/2011 14:28

"Before you 'FFS' at anyone else"

Gosh, I did? When was this?!

Blu · 21/07/2011 14:30

MySpoc - Well lucky for you that you were able to move from a rural location to a job in Manchester. Not sure an agricultural worker living in tied accommodation would have that flexibility. But because it was OK for YOU, everyone else can lump it and there should be no obligation for the gvt to provide a state education system that allows all parents the choice not to have their children educated within an active religious environment?

squeakytoy · 21/07/2011 14:30

Would you apply this to devil worship? Sex education? Drugs?

Exactly... you would simply tell the child that just because they were taught about it, they dont actually need to do it.

No need to get into a complete hissy fit about it.

elastamum · 21/07/2011 14:30

MK lives in a rural community as do we. In reality round here there is NO CHOICE of primary school which is not either a CofE village school or an independent CofE school. This is something I consider to be somewhat unfair. Why should non christains be expected to home ed or subject their child to a christian education paid which is funded by the LEA from their taxes???? It easy for other posters to say dont send your child there, but in rural communities there isnt usually much choice.

I have been very clear to school that I dont expect my children to be made to pray to a god they clearly dont believe in. The school are happy with this as they recognise that many non christian children also attend the school.

Cocoflower · 21/07/2011 14:30

Yes I would want my children to have sex education and hopefully try it one day when the age of 35 or something

Blu · 21/07/2011 14:31

oh, sorry - you did the 'for the last time' and 'good grief' form of impatience with people trying to discuss.

DSomeone else said 'FFS' about it being a faith school.

ye-e-e-s - and some of us are trying to explain why it isn't satisfactory to have a faith school as the only available choice.