To think schools shouldn't teach religion as absolute fact?

[PoesyCherish]

DSD is 6 and is learning about Christianity in school. They're teaching her Jesus is the Son of God rather than "some people believe he is". Everything about the religion is taught as fact. They've also failed to mention anything about any other religion.

AIBU to think they shouldn't be teaching it as absolute fact? How are children supposed to be understanding and tolerant of other people's beliefs if they're taught one world view as fact?

Absolutely, @thinks! It is the one night a year where we celebrate those who have passed; when we are the closest. Unfortunately tainted by commercialised religious representation of wise women aesthetically presented as scary witches and our lord of the forest as Satan. Ho hum

Samhain is when all my babies have come to me.

I love the whole celebration very much.

I also love Christmas and Yule, I love Beltane and summer gatherings.

The best thing about being atheist is that you can enjoy lots of celebrations and stories in the full knowledge they are stories

The gov link doesn’t mention church schools at all in its list of types of school.

There is no legal definition here. It’s all usage.

jassy but it’s very clear on what faith schools are.

What people referring to here are NOT faith schools.

The reason it doesn’t specifically name ‘church schools’ is because ALL the bloody schools are connected to a church sans 5% AFAIK

hackmum

But I would have no problem with the Labour Party setting up schools with its own cash, or with the funding per child being provided by the government, provided those schools were inspected by the government and a common set of standards adhered to. It really would not bother me in the least.

Re: Hallowe’en

I worked in a CofE school which removes any reference to witches from the reading schemes.

Including telling kids they shouldn’t be reading Harry Potter

🙄

Pen it’s pretty irrelevant what you do or do not have a problem with

The topic is about the current status quo, not your complete irrelevant feelz

JassyRadlett

Could you be a bit more specific about what it outlaws?

Secondly, I know you are saying you are not allowed to set up a school. I am not arguing that you are (although I would appreciate your directing me to the correct part of the legislation). I am saying it isn't the solution for existing faith schools to have to open their doors to non-religious families wholesale. That is not something I support.

Jacques
It is most certainly Christian privilege.

As an Islamic or Jewish school would be ripped apart for acting so archaic.

Christians get away with it somehow

Church schools take on whatever children the LA give them. They have no decision over the admission process

JassyRadlett

The reason I ask is that I thought - and might be completely wrong - that businesses, charities etc. could set up free schools.

Exactly Jamie and it's far less evil and dangerous to remember the dead on Samhain than it is to be homophobic or wishing Muslims dead, both of which I have experienced the Christian faith to believe. It's disgusting that in this day and age you can be homophobic due to religion and that's ok because the bible says so but celebrating dead love ones is seen as evil 😐

But I would have no problem with the Labour Party setting up schools with its own cash, or with the funding per child being provided by the government, provided those schools were inspected by the government and a common set of standards adhered to. It really would not bother me in the least.

Really? From a social cohesion perspective I find that shocking.

We are regularly told what a problem we have with minority ethnic and minority faith communities not integrating with their wider communities. Yet we segregate children by faith at school.

We are regularly told that social mobility is a massive issue. Yet we enable social stratification by stealth (faith and house price) in our schools.

To further insulate children from people who Aren’t Like Us by the ideas their parents have seems a recipe for disaster.

You asked me to quote chapter and verse on statutory guidance. I haven’t time now but will come back to it tonight. However you are right that free schools can (theoretically if not in practice) be set up by a variety of different groups. There are restrictions to the sort of school that can be set up. Faith is fine, but explicitly secular (ie exempt from legal requirements on Christian collective worship, etc) are expressly excluded.

Church schools take on whatever children the LA give them. They have no decision over the admission process

Exactly what designation of schools are you talking about? There is no official designation of ‘church school’.

JassyRadlett

Well, I wouldn't. Social cohesion is obviously something you hold close to your heart, but it's not the law of the land. This is a simple difference f opinion.

Faith is fine, but explicitly secular (ie exempt from legal requirements on Christian collective worship, etc) are expressly excluded.

Really? Please do show me the legislation when you can.

Schools that are connected to a church. AKA 95% of them.

In any other context they would just be called ‘schools’ Here we differentiate between ‘faith schools’ and ‘schools connected to a church’ because nobody seems to understand that they are different. They are, very.

@Pengggwn why are you so worried about your DC integrating with people who are not your religion? When they become adults (which part of school is preparing a person for the rest of their life) they can't just avoid everyone who doesn't have the same strict set of beliefs that they do.

Poesy

Probably for the same reason pen doesn’t want them to come to their own conclusions about god/faith/Christianity. Because they will work out it’s senseless tripe

PoesyCherish

I'm not worried about it. I didn't say I was worried.

I can't understand what the point of equalities legislation might be if education is exempt.

How can you properly prepare children for the diverse world of work by modelling discrimination to them throughout their schooling?

Its totally ridiculous.

I agree that there should not be any indoctrination into any faith at school, and, moreover, no religion should have schools. But general theological education about what religions are (and what harm they do to women and gays in particular) is good.

We should go full France and totally separate religion from state funded education.

We should go full France and totally separate religion from state funded education.

Hear hear

We should go full France and totally separate religion from state funded education

I’d vote for you.