To ask the nursery about grace?

[Stangirl]

My DD (2) attends a nursery 2 days a week - since last October. I am very happy with the nursery and love the way the staff are with the kids. DD seems very happy there.

They just had a Mother's Afternoon where the mums were invited in to attend a music and movement session, facepainting, playing, tea with the kids. I went along and it was lovely apart for one thing - one of the children was asked to say grace before the sandwiches and said a few words thanking god. I was shocked by this as I had believed them to be non-religious - teaching and celebrating all festivals etc but not active worshipping. As an avowed atheist I am quite perturbed.

Would you ask them if this is usual and if they are teaching them grace?

Organised religion is such a waste of time IMO.
This thread and the amount of time we have all spent on something no one can prove or disprove IMO ie the existence of god.

Sorry meant to add "as an example, this thread..."

exotic it isn't important to have my children think the same as I do, its not about that. It's about instilling important values. Like others have said;

Thanks to the ladies in the kitchen for preparing the food because that is basic manners. Thanks to the farmers who work really hard for not much reward, in the face of very difficult market forces, and they have been instrumental in shaping the English countryside. Thank you that I have been born in a country with a temperate climate and a stable government, where food is plentiful and I am safe, because that is sheer luck and I should never take that for granted.

I don't want to ignore and dévalué all of that and have my children think that thanking God is sufficient

I'm interested in this. Exactly what "experience of " atheism would the average primary school child from a Christian family have?

I think that you will find that is more or less what they DCs are saying in a grace bejeezus-no one is expecting to be a Harry Potter experience!

I think the knowledge that most of their friends, their friends parents and the staff don't believe in God, seeker!

"It depends a lot on the Head."

Well, what if the Head has a religious agenda? There is nothing to stop them taking assemblies with content that either implicitly or explicitly says that God is real and up there in the sky watching our every move, is there?

Most staff make it quite clear that it is 'what Christian's believe' the implication (quite strong) that most of the DCs are not Christians and neither are they.

That is the problem Bonfire! It depends on the Head.

"I think the knowledge that most of their friends, their friends parents and the staff don't believe in God, seeker!"

But it is highly unlikely a primary teacher would explicitly 'teach' atheism as fact, isn't it? Would they even be allowed to?

Of course-if it is a church school the assumption may well be that the DCs are Christian.

They would say that many people don't believe in a god. I would be surprised if you could teach 'atheism' -I would think it was too diverse-is one atheist going to think the same as another. If I were an atheist my views would be a million miles from SGB's idea.

"That is the problem Bonfire! It depends on the Head."

As ever exoticfruits, I am confused by your arguments! On one hand you're saying that these assemblies DON'T preach to children about the existence of God (so it's not a problem, what are we making such a fuss about). And on the other you're saying whether they do or not all depends on the Head?

sorry-ideas.

"Of course-if it is a church school the assumption may well be that the DCs are Christian."

Which of course they probably WON'T all be (from practising Christian families, that is).

So what part does god play in the grace then? In my experience of grace, you do thank god directly for the food and credit no one else?

By the teaching of atheism as fact, I mean something like a teacher standing up in front of the class and saying 'well now, hands up who believes in god? Well, you're all wrong, there is no god'.

Which is effectively what schools do in reverse when they teach Christianity as fact.

The Education Act (probably 1998) lays down the requirements for collective worship. I think it has to be at least 51% Christian.
It is up to the Head how you interpret it.

Mine went to a school where it was very much assumed they were not Christian and 'Christian's believe' went in front of everything. It was a very good school and I chose it for lots of reasons-it was unimportant to me. Had it been a church school it wouldn't have bothered me.

I have said before-I really don't think that it has a place in schools in 21st century but I just can't get upset about it. I think it healthy to have a variety of views.
I know that DCs don't just follow their parents. They will make up their own mind.
You may not believe in God, hate organised religion and your DC becomes a vicar. You may be an active Christian and your DC rejects it. So what?
When you bring a DC into the world it isn't in your gift to sort out their beliefs. They will work it out themselves. Love should be unconditional-not 'I will only love you if you believe what I tell you to believe'.
David Cameron's DCs do not have to be Conservatives-they have the same free choice as anyone else!!

If anyone is doing that about anything they shouldn't be a teacher Bonfire!!
It can't be proved or disproved-it is a question of faith.

Even in a church school no one is going to put a DC on the spot by asking them.

I would be appalled if any adult were saying any of it without 'I believe' in front-parent or teacher.

In my experience of grace, you do thank god directly for the food and credit no one else?

Not in mine.

If they are not Christian and at a Christian school they can't say they didn't know!

I'm perfectly happy for my DS, 3, to learn about other religions and about humanism, athiesm etc.

But, I'd be furious if any nursery or school required him to do (or made him 'opt out of') a daily 'there is no God' incantation before every meal. I'd be equally furious if they made him thank God before every meal.

Fine to teach about religion/athiesm etc, not fine to get other people's children actively participating in it. Why on earth can't the children simply say that they are grateful for the food before them and thank the dinner lady for cooking it???

exoticfruits - I suspect my example of the teacher standing up in front of a class and saying 'there is no god' only seems shocking because it's so explicitly stated.

But if a child goes to a school which takes its Christian content 'seriously', shall we say, then it's going to be hard for a child not to get the impression that Christianity and belief in God and Jesus is the status quo, and that school is very much saying 'there is a God, and you should believe in him'.

And I think the question of whether your children end up believing the same thing as you AS ADULTS is a bit of a red herring, tbh. That will of course depend on many things, and the collective sum of their experiences as they grow up. That doesn't mean that schools should teach religion as fact - whether or not the child is growing up in a household which practices that religion.

If you reasoning was true Bonfire the churches would be full! Taking into account this was far more the case as we grew up.

It isn't in the least hard for a DC. My BIL was a choir boy-he is now an atheist (from young) I don't think it has caused him a moment of angst. It is only hard if parents have the idea that they tell their DC what they believe and the DC will comply.