to not want my dd to be taught this stuff..

[singingprincess]

She goes to a C of E school. There is no choice here, very rural, and all the schools are C of E.

Last year she came home telling me that her RE teacher had told her that Bonfire Night was unlucky....mildly amusing maybe?

But today she told me that she was a Christian. That Christians hate Jews.

I am horrified! She was amazed, and a bit worried when I told her that I knew some Jewish people, and that they were perfectly lovely. She is 7.

This is all wrong...what can I do?

State religious schools may, but do not have to, legally discriminate on the basis of religion when hiring some of their staff - mainly leadership positions like Head. Catholic schools are not legally obliged to have a Catholic Head, but it may be Church requirement for schools they fund.

Let us know what the school says. I admit I get the feeling it's been a bit of a misunderstanding. Sounds very like it. Bonfire night is not as far as I have ever heard, unlucky, but it was for the original plotters who were caught and hanged.

As for the Christian / Jew thing that was historical fact at some points in time in some places. What was the subject being taught when she was told this? Was it history? Or bible stories? Or maybe they were being taught about prejudice and how bad it is!

If she is clear enough to be so sure she should be able to give you the context. I admit I find it hard to believe that a teacher of whatever faith was unequivocally telling a class of 7 year olds to go out and hate the Jews. What do the other mothers of kids in her class say? I'd do a bit of research before accusing someone of anti-semitism on the basis of the word of a single person who might just have got it wrong.

I also wonder why you are so keen to think the worst of this teacher?

YABVVVVVVVVVU, there is absolutely no way your daughter is recounting this accurately. Stop being so precious about her, she can get things wrong you know.

Whenever any body posts that they are worried that their child has been taught something weird at CofE school (last time it was Pet Heaven...) folks pop up and say get over it, they must be wrong, what do you expect etc... as if it is totally unreasonable for a parent to go and havea polite word to clarify/understand/see if there is reason to be concerned about something/anything that goes on at school.

Sending your child to a faith school doesn't mean you have to automatically defer to them on matters of religion.

The over deferent attitude to the church/ don't listen to the children approach is what allowed so many men of the cloth to abuse so many children for so long. I am not saying that wacky RE teaching is comparible - but no institution should have authority that is beyond question.

Oh FFS not another one of these stupid "I'm an atheist but send my child to a C of E school and don't like them teaching religion and get my knickers in a twist based on the totally misunderstood things my child tells me" threads.

Next!

In this case the OP has no choice but to send her child to a CoE school, as she has explained. Besides this sort of issue can as easily arise at a community school. My dd came back from primary school at a very similar age with apparently very strong Christian views imparted by the local vicar that the head at the time had heavily involved with the school. Now who knows what he actually said, but some of the messages she came home with did not sit at all comfortably with us. When we discussed them with her she said that "Father Christopher' said these things and that he was right as 'he had a bigger house than us'. When the head changed, 'Father Christopher' disappeared. Seven year olds can be very easily influenced.

C of E or not - any arsing denomination should be taught history, I know why the Crusades happened, why bonfire night is not great for Catholics, why we had the Reformation, why WE EVEN HAVE THE C of E.

It's not religion.

It's history.

All the people saying anti-semitism is part of history are a bit optimistic. Of course there are still anti-Semitic Christians. Mel Gibson is a famous example! It might not be official Christian teaching but it's not impossible that an anti-Semitic Christian could have taught a lesson in a school.

Is anyone questioning that history should be taught at school? I would have thought that most people in the UK know all of those things you've listed spiderlegs. I'm not sure in what context a seven year old could reasonably be told that Christians hate Jews though. I can't see anything much in the national history curriculum for primary that looks very relevant either.

Maybe if you actually taught your dd yourself about the basic history and beliefs of religions she is likely to encounter in the world, then you would be able to give her a balanced factual education and resolve any misunderstandings she has yourself.

I am not religious but I celebrate Christmas, easter etc because they're fun, but ds will be taught why this country celebrates them including little details like Jesus was jewish and that if you happened to be a catholic after the events of guy Fawkes night then yes, it was likely you would experience some unlucky things in your near future like being hung drawn and quartered

But surely the problem is not solved

That teacher has gone to another school and could be peddling the same crap there. marvellous.

Singingprincess, I think you do need to investigate further to find out what the score really is

And well done to you for not dismissing your DD as an "emotional 7 year old who must have got the wrong end of the stick." She may have, she may not. I think you should take a bit of time to discreetly find out.

YABVU - not least because if you have an opinion about cofe schools you should be well enough informed about something you have made an active decision not to believe in that this is utter tosh and you should have been able to explain the real situation to your daughter immediately and if there had been a problem you should have been able to have a quiet and rational discussion with the Head.

Guy Fawkes - historical turning point when treason was unearthed and a seminal point in embedding protestantism in the UK.

Over an historical time line some christians have hated jews, ie, the Romans and Nazi Germany. They do not hate Jews per se and I am gobsmacked that your daughter has got to the age of 7 without knowing Jesus was born a Jew.

If my dc attended this cofe school, as a practicing Christian I would be questioning the level of spiritual engagement at the school.

As an aside, how do you expect your daughter to be able to make a decision about whether she wishes to be a christian unless she is taught the basics?

Finally, Catholics are Christians but they worship through Mary and have slightly different rituals.

WTF are you talking about? Catholics do not 'worship through Mary'. Jeez I'm not even a Catholic any more but that 'statement' still made me see red, especially from someone telling the OP to teach her daughter 'the basics'. Talk about pot calling the kettle black

With all due respect Nooka catholics pray to Mary and love honour and pray tribute to her in a way that the Protestant church does not.

What Winky said.I teach Sunday school and had a girl tell me that at her (Jewish) school they had learned "why we don like the Moslems". Agai it could be a misunderstanding, or it coUld be a slightly unhinged individual (I was told in a uni lecture that black people were less intelligent than white, so there are strange people out there in influential positions). Either way, it needs addressing, doesn't it?

Individual teacher - not the child!

I am gobsmacked that your daughter has got to the age of 7 without knowing Jesus was born a Jew.

Huh? Is that really so astounding?

Yes Mary has a special place in Catholic mythology, and not so much for Protestants. But they still don't 'worship through Mary', and it's certainly not the most important thing to know about Catholicism as you imply. I was brought up by a Catholic father and a CoE mother and have a pretty good idea of the differences (which are frankly pretty small). I went to a Catholic school and am confirmed too, so I think that someone would have told me this key fact at some point. Generally speaking the Pope being the head of the Catholic church is usually cited as the major difference. Catholic services aren't really very different from CoE ones (assuming that they are equally 'high' or 'low'). Sometimes people pray to Mary (or another Saint) for an intercession, and there is often a part of the church dedicated to Mary, or the Holy Family but in the UK at least Catholics really don't do that much Mary worshiping.

OP my DD hasn't got to 7 yet so I'm not sure how much they grasp on to comments and expand on them or misunderstand them, but irrespective, I think someone else suggested this. Maybe you could call Mums that you may know of some other DC that your DD is in the same class with and just ask whether their DCs have mentioned anything like that?

Something as fundamental as 'Christians hating the Jews' would have been picked up by others I'm sure. There could be other Mums worrying like you are. If their DCs have told them the same thing, you have your answer and you can approach the school as a united front. Being half term you have a little bit of time to do some investigating.

Just a thought...

Thing is...I am not remotely religious. Not a jot. I tend to study more new agey stuff like meditation and chakra's etc. So don't spend any time at all thinking about Jesus, or Mary, other than when they put T towels on their heads at Christmas...which is merely derived from winter solstice celebrations, which are common to lots of religions, as Easter is based on the phases of the moon. So why would my children know stuff about Jesus?

I have never has a problem with this until recently. I don't expect my dd to come home from school with any hint of anti-Semitism, that's all.

DD's dad was brought up a Catholic, and had never heard of the link with bonfire night, as many of the catholic's upthread.

I expect we all know things that others don't, because we all have a different reality...not better or worse, just different.

BUT, this stuff must be taught with very great care, and imparting any mistrust of "the other" can only be harmful.

My ds went to a community school with a very religious Jewish head, and her influence was keenly felt throughout the school, but I must say, never in such a negative way.

I agree with the comments above about where these folk will be going next, and further investigation as to just what happened in these "RE" classes.

I don't care much for any organised religion much myself. I want my children to grow up respecting people, all people, regardless, that's all.

Blimey!

November the 5th is my birthday, So very important to me!!!! ;-)

I know about Guiido Fawkes etc. What I didn't know was that it was considered unlucky...and neither did my catholic h! Soz!

I do have a decent level of education...just not in that field...once again...soz.

I never said a word about your children!

And that's what it means to me..T towels on little kids heads..and very sweet it is too. I am not you..I am me.

No...I will speak to the school first. That seems prudent.