Stop trying to indoctrinate my child!

[DisappointedOne]

DD is 4 and started in the nursery class of our catchment school in Sept - it's not a church school. It's a full time place. We knew that there would be assemblies but the head assured us that they didn't follow a strict religious script, more world issues etc. We could live with that.

However, DD's teacher appears to be providing religious instruction to the children throughout the day - prayers on the morning, grace at lunchtime, hymns in the afternoon. I'm beyond furious. We want DD to have a rounded education and learn about all manner of belief and non-belief systems so that she can decide her own beliefs herself. Why the fuck is her teacher trying to indoctrinate 3 and 4 year olds to her beliefs?!

We're away this week but planning on taking this up with the head. Has anyone else tackled this sort of thing before?

I can't think of one good reason why there should be compulsory worship in state schools.

I can't either. The idea that the words 'compulsory' and 'worship' should ever go together in one sentence in a modern Western democratic society would be laughable if it weren't so tragic.

And as for God save the Queen. Well - as an Republican and an atheist, I feel that our anthem should mention the UK in its main verse. No need for God or the Queen.

I'm an atheist, and I vote for Jerusalem.

The adherents of these Bronze Age desert cults know that if they don't spread their belief system to the young and impressionable, then it will die out. That scares them.

Random But Jerusalem is great both musically and poetically, so it can get away with anything! I'm not even British, and Jerusalem makes me tear up. Nothing native (Dutch) comes even close.

Jerusalem is interesting and mystic, and although every question in it can be answered by 'no', it's a thumping tune.

Doesn't the dirge God Save The Queen say some very rude stuff about the Scots in verse two or three anyway? That's not very inclusive.

Oooh, I forgot about I Vow To Thee My Country too. I really love that.

Random the Dutch national anthem goes on and on about us being of German blood. This does not go down well, we try to pretend those lines aren't there...

Jerusalem is a fine English anthem, but not inclusive of the rest of the UK.

Ooh, interesting twist!

I've always agreed with Billy Connolly that God Save The Queen is hideous. The theme to The Archers is much cheerier.