to want my child to be free of religion at school?

[cherryade8]

I've startedlooking at schools and attending open days for my dd. Even the supposedly secular schools teach about religion and seen to have display boards with posters and pupils work explaining the intricacies of each religion.

I'm not religious and don't wish dd to be exposed to more than a cursory explanation of religion at school. What people choose to teach their children outside of school is none of my business, why does the curriculum seem to want to force it on children? It seems to be the case in both state and private schools.

Aibu?

You don't want your DD to understand the community and the world she lives in

If the justification for educating children about religion is cultural/social awareness, then why is such a large proportion of school time specifically dedicated to educating people specifically about religion? Religion is a tiny subset of the cultural and social awareness that a well rounded person ought to have, yet almost all the other aspects other than religion are ignored.

Would it not make far more sense to have a "cultural and social awareness" subject in place of RE that covers the basics of religion but also covers the far more important and relevant aspects of UK and world culture that a well-rounded person ought to know about?

A large proportion of time? RE lessons at state primary school is normally about an hour a week.

If you don't have a grounding in the bible then you will simply not 'get' vast swathes of literature etc. You might think you do but you will miss out of a sub level of understanding, a bit like Father Ted is still funny to a British atheist but they miss out on something that Irish Catholics get (I believe the Kumars is similar to British Asians). Obviously you can't be all things but you can try and get as much knowledge as possible. Even pop music is littered with stuff from the bible. It would be like not knowing and fairy tales or Roman/Greek/Norse mythology.

yanbu, it's rubbish. Try to finda school without polyester uniform or religious influence and you're shafted.

I think you can ask for DCs to be withdrawn from both collective worship (assemblies) and from RE lessons (which should be more neutrally taught, like any other humanity subject, but perhaps may not always be so ?)

If you take up this option then you may be happier with the education your DD receives at school.

I think it's good advice too that the humanist society could advise.

Personally I like my DCs to learn about different religions and cultures, and also to have opportunities to explore and discuss with others different religious ideas, and what they themselves believe.

However I also agree with some other posters that I would expect most of the exploration of their own beliefs to take place in their own faith communities and families.

Always think it's very interesting that in US there's a very different culture around this, and all schools have to be secular - which incidentally is one big reason there's such a focus over there on creationism, so that some religion can sneek into schools under the guise of the science curriculum
(how the world was made)
Whereas in UK we have a long tradition of church established & partly funded schools.

if oyu have actually been into an RE lesson since you were at school you will find the subject has transformed.
And it does MASSES On basic spirituality, philosophy, moral codes etcetc

you really need to have found out about what is taught when it is taught WELL before opining.

IME teenage kids LOVE Re lessons.
I know, I was surprised too,

*I am a very militant atheist, but I want DS to learn about religions. Especially if, as he gets older, he has teachers who can explain them in terms of the warmongering and misogyny that they fuel, as well as just This is Imaginary Friend A and this is Ritual B.

But I think collective worship has no place at all in schools. Why should kids have their time wasted talking to someone's imaginary friend?*

^This

I'd much rather they learn something useful, like foreign languages, politics, world politics or fiscal studies, money management, mortgages, etc. something they might actually need to use when they're grown up.

it is the 'act of collective worship' that I don't like. Do teachers have to lead prayers even if they are not believers?

If RE is taught like history (people did this, possibly motivated by that...) without 'this is right and this is wrong' then it is valuable to understanding why the world is as it is. Hopefully learning that there are many different religions will also produce children who can make up their own minds - provided their parents allow them that choice of course.

i think we need to distinguish between religious assemblies and RE

What about the effects of indoctrinating your child with an atheist set of beliefs....surely that is just as bad. Why the hell should you dictate what your child learns. Either suck it up or home school and stop whinging.

teachers dont often have to do assemblies.

If oyu are in a church school its a bit churlish really, I am not religious but just do a generally dear god mumbly prayer - dont believe in it so who cares

I do think that collective worship is odd. Esp in non religious state schools, we are the only state in Europe to have this.

I do think atheists do protest too much though when their kids are in church schools.
Also who says that the atheists kid doesn't also have the Human right to have a faith - rather than shoving atheism down their throat

most schools in England dont tbh.

My son loved it and we are virtually heathens! But the teacher was amazing and on the open day for the school he spoke 'elvish' to them and they were hooked ,it was very informative though and not at all preachy preachy.

yup kids LOVE RS.
its the parents who remember bible stories boredom

Either suck it up or home school and stop whinging.

Lol that's just brilliant, if the government service you pay a vast amount of tax towards isn't to your satisfaction, don't say anything and spend a vast amount of extra time and money performing the service yourself (in addition to all the tax you are paying for a service you don't use). With such excellent logic you could be an RE teacher.

YANBU.

If anyone is going to lie to my kids, it's ME.

Overprotection,

My logic has actually enabled me to acheive a doctorate with distinction from Cambridge University. I have lectured in neuroscience all over the world and I am now a multiple business owner.

Not that there is anything wrong in being an RE teacher. I dare say it is a better job than what an adult who starts posts with the learned, mature and insightful statement "LOL" is able to achieve.

You utter snob.

Overprotection - you say you would be happier if it was taught as social and cultural studies - but a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, and you cannot study different cultures without studying the religions that influence them - so it would be the same subject with a different title.

Noorny I am surprised you have time to post on here, aren't you on a task this afternoon? You are on "The Apprentice" right? As that sort of dubious self-aggrandizement is the preserve of such characters who wish to find an investment from Alan Sugar.

Personally I think that religion is the source of a lot of personal comfort and institutional evil. Fear of death and other events beyond our control is the price we pay for being inteligent self aware creatures.

Throughout history humans have invented God or gods to explain the world around them. This is so part of our history and culture our DCs need to understand it.

However, schools should not assume that all DCs have or need some form of god in their lives. They should not teach religion as fact, only opinion. No child should ever be in trouble for politely questioning matters of faith.

The idea that seems to pervade all primary schools and a lot of secondaries is that all DCs, who are not registered as Muslim/Hindu/Jewish etc are by default Christian. If you do not bow your head and say a prayer that means nothing to you, you are being naughty.