...to be considering withdrawing my child from collective worship next year

[Hopstheduck]

First time posting in aibu, please be gentle!

Starting thinking about this because the dts have a church service next week and we dont want them to attend. We are more than happy for them to learn about other religions, visit churches, etc. but feel uncomfortable with the idea of them actively participating.

Next sept they will be starting at a C of E junior school and I am wondering about whether to approach the school regarding religion in the assemblies. I know that on occasion the vicar leads these, and I dont want the dts becoming confused, or being expected to participate in christian acts of worship.

It seems to be uncommon these days to withdraw a child. I'd love to know if anyone else has approached it and how it worked out.

Trust your kids. I was sent to a C of E school, the only choice in a tiny rural town. When I was about 9 or 10, I sort of cottoned on to the fact that Bible stories weren't quite history like "proper" history was. And I was making my own decision that Christianity wasn't for me by 11, refusing to go to church services. You will make the whole business more attractive if you make it forbidden.

Ecolady, it's a long time since I was in the school system, but a Christian assembly every day, grace, and an end of day prayer? It's like something out of Carrie!!

paintchart yes it is. And yesterday I had the politics show on in the background and happened to catch david cameron answering some question or other, his answer started with his commitment to faith schools in the UK and how great and important they are

ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Daughteroflilith - it's just mad though, this notion that religious influence from school is something that some parents have no option but to hope that their children grow out of if the family are not happy with it. As if we are all children ourselves.

It should just be a non-issue - and a private matter - which belief-system the family of each child in the school subscribes to (if any).

SardineQueen - I suspect the Free Schools idea was contrived to seem all woolly and liberal, when in fact it's anything but.

I find it so depressing reading that wiki quote. I didn't realise that faith schools had quite so much control over what they teach in RE. I do know that the faith school we are faced with has a strong bias in RE education. I assumed the bits they do include of other religions was because they had to.

It's just so wrong. I've seen so many articles professing how great the uk is because of its multiculturalism yet we don't support that in our schools.

Haven't had time to read the whole thread but I'm always astonished at the 'why send them to a c of e school' type responses. Don't people have the first clue about how the education system works in this country? There is most often than not NO CHOICE but to send your child to a c of e school. Where we live our local school is heavily religious. It is also our catchment school in an area with a shortage of primary school places. It is possible we might by our children in elsewhere, but the system is heavily loaded against sending your child out of catchment. Besides which, why should you be forced to send your child miles across town, away from their friends and local community? That is no choice at all.

Op, I think you could do either and be ok actually. Dh and i both have strongly atheist parents. Dh was withdrawn from collective worship at primary school, I wasnt. We are both atheists today! I probably know more hymns though :)

sorry, unfortunate typo! We can't 'by our children in elsewhere'- we can try to get them in! Don't think the local council is amenable to bribery, though I guess that would be one solution