To think that a school should ask for parental permission before singing certain songs

[ReallyTired]

Dd came home from school singing "Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so." She attends a community school and there are only two practicing christians in her class. There are seven practicing muslims, a couple of hindu and most the children come from non religous families.

I realise that schools are required to a have a broadly christian basis to their worship, but there are loads of christian songs which would not offend non christians. Why would a school choose that hymn? I know that parents do have the right to pull their children out of assembly, but they do need warning if the hymn choice is going to be that extreme.

I sang 'while shepherds washed their socks' for bloody years at school & no bugger noticed.

So long as you're standing in line with your mouth opening & closing, everyone's happy.

It was when I stood politely not even pretending to be singing that I got hit by a nun...

It's part & parcel of the 'broadly Christian character' thing OP. Personally, I don't think there's any place for it in schools, but unless you withdraw your dc from all RE, assemblies etc, there's going to be a lot worse than a quick hymn-sing to object to.

Preciousbane, the lark-plucking song was 'Alouette'. Very unsuitable for primary aged children who understand French, apparently.

'We three kings of Orient are
One in a scooter
One in a Car
One on a Scooter, papping his hooter
Smoking a big Cigar

That's when i got hit by a nun

this has made the thread

I'm a Christian and I don't think you are being unreasonable. Even though these hymns have words I believe to be true I feel uncomfortable with teaching just songs to children without teaching them what the words mean. I feel that it can make the songs less meaningful to children

Jingle bells! Battman smells! Robin did a fart.....!

Usualsuspect why are carols ok but other religious songs aren't! Is it because you've internalised them sufficiently because they're fluffy and happy and you like Christmas?

I'm playing devils advocate really because I'm quite happy with my own repurposing of Christmas carols back into my heathen winter celebration because it's only a reverse of what happened when Christianity spread. I'm just taking issue with the way you said it as if it was self-evidently reasonable.

At least I'm a consistently hypocritical fucked up ex-church-going atheist. I like ANY rousing hymn!

Can you even imagine how long it would take to agree on a whole school parent-approved song list?

And how few songs could be left and how dull they would be

Jesus is a prophet talked about many times in the Koran/Quran so I don't think that Muslims would have a problem with 'Jesus loves you'.

Am I the only person who loves the idea of 'extreme hymn' choices!

I'm very surprised at the responses to this thread. OP, I don't think you're being at all unreasonable. There are countless songs that don't require children to profess faith. Why can't the school choose from those? I would have objected very loudly when mine were at primary school had they come home professing their love of any deity, or the love of any deity for them. It's not appropriate in our multi-faith (including no-faith) society, and quite unnecessary. You shouldn't have to pull your children out of assembly in a non-faith school in order not to have them singing songs of this kind.

Oh I know I'm a hypocrite.

I wonder what could be classed as 'extreme' hymns? Would it have to involve smiting?

We three kings of Leicester Square
Flogging ladies' underwear,
How fantastic, no elastic,
Yours for twopence a pair.

Haha you'd hate to be me.

I'm Buddhist. Very Buddhist. I do not believe in pushing religion onto children. Not even my own onto my own child.

So DS knows all about baby Jesus... Although he thinks he's a doll that miss puts in the cupboard.

And he knows about god... Although he thinks that means assembly.

And he thinks buddha is called buddy and that mummy medicates him.

But he does know that in church we pray to 'Jesus and farter' but 'not everyone no no, mummy medicates buddy'

So rather than leave him to make his own choices when he's older, he now thinks we pray to farts, worship assembly, lock baby Jesus in cupboards and medicate cross legged Indian men.

Brill.

Extreme would be breaking into a hearty rendition of 'slob on my knob' or something.

It's a hymn and a fairly inoffensive one at that.

I went to a c of e school. we had daily prayers and hymns and all that.

I honestly didn't give a shit. It didn't mean anything to me. I mimed, I daydreamed and it went in one ear and out of the other. I couldn't sing a hymn now if my life depended on it (I hope my soul won't ) It really doesn't in and of itself have the impact you think it does.

Also, perhaps it's one element of a broader thing where all religions are represented and assemblies have some sort of rota?

I would LOVE for assemblies to be a rotated thing. That would be so amazing giving the children a choice of and respect for so much. It'll not happen though.

...there are loads of Christian songs which would not offend non Christians...

Like what? If you're offended by Jesus loves me, this I know then just about any Christian song is going to be an issue.

Seriously, I'm a Christian and can see the OP's point. From my POV encouraging children to express beliefs they don't adhere to or even understand trivialises the beliefs in question.

I can remember all the hymns we had to sing at school.

I can sing along with Songs of Praise.

Oh, by the way OP, I went to a Roman Catholic primary school that was an extension of the convent and run by the nuns of the convent. Every lesson was bible related. Now I'm Buddhist. It really doesn't affect children how you think it does.

I'm really surprised that so many people are telling the OP she's being 'pathetic'. I'm from a Christian background, but am pretty much an atheist now and I feel very uncomfortable about all forms of religious practice in schools. We're a multi-faith and non-faith country these days. If I wanted a religious education for my kids I'd send them to a religious school. I'd expect a 'community' school to have as little 'Jesus loves me' type stuff as possible. I'd be peeved.

I'm amazed impressed that you know not only what religion everyone else is in her class, but whether they are practising or not. How the hell do you know that OP?

I thought you were going to say the school wanted to teach them the milkshake song.......

Oh for the love of little fish.

I am an atheist. Of the staunch variety.

It's a song, a sweet harmless song. I learnt it at school and it hasn't exactly turned me into anything you might be fearing.