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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Why is religious studies compulsory in primary and secondary schools?

75 replies

GulliversTravels123 · 09/10/2018 12:55

Just that really- it’s more obvious why Maths and English matter, don’t understand why a subject which IMO is a load of twaddle is compulsory.

I’m guessing there must be a reason?

OP posts:

Sirzy · 09/10/2018 14:15

Individuals do as long as their beliefs aren’t negatively impacting you then why don’t they deserve respect?

The vast majority of people of faith live their life without it impacting on anyone else so why does that deserve to be disrespected and ridiculed?

vandrew4 · 09/10/2018 14:19

as long as their beliefs aren’t negatively impacting you then why don’t they deserve respect
because I find it impossible to respect a grown up who believes made up shite.
The sooner they drag themselves out of the ignorance of the middle ages the better.
My respect for people plummets as soon as I find out they believe such twaddle and TBH I then think of them as being a bit simple, rather like a teenager still believing in santa

DancingDot · 09/10/2018 14:19

In our non-denominational school you can request that your child is removed from the class when they are having bible stories, and you have a choice about them attending church based assemblies BUT then your child will also be removed from all Christmas activities, including Santa visits, panto etc because these are part of the Christian festival!

JassyRadlett · 09/10/2018 14:20

I disagree - I think other subjects such as geography, history and music are more important and useful than religion

Pretty hard to have a rich understanding of history without having a working understanding of different faiths.

Kokeshi123 · 09/10/2018 14:21

There is however a small problem: most religious beliefs aren't particularly respectful of other religious beliefs. By their very nature.

Which is why it's probably best to put all this stuff into the same basket as "classics/mythology" and just teach the facts about religion as part of people's background knowledge--something that will help them to access literature and follow events on the news.

CheeseTheDay · 09/10/2018 14:22

It teaches children about the differences between religions, and their cultures, and hopefully instills an understanding that will prevent them growing into ignorant adults.

JassyRadlett · 09/10/2018 14:22

Individuals do as long as their beliefs aren’t negatively impacting you then why don’t they deserve respect?

I respect individuals, and their right to believe in whatever deity floats their boat.

I do not fee any impetus to respect the ideas themselves, or the institutions in which they’re vested. I do think it’s important to try to be kind, though.

CheeseTheDay · 09/10/2018 14:23

Oh and I say that as someone who is not religious.

vandrew4 · 09/10/2018 14:24

hopefully instills an understanding that will prevent them growing into ignorant adults
hahaha. oh the irony!!

DancingDot · 09/10/2018 14:25

Individuals do as long as their beliefs aren’t negatively impacting you

That's not what this thread is about though - the OP nor anyone else on the board has said that individuals should not be able to make their own decisions about religious observance in their own lives. The point being made is about the usefulness of religious education in mainstream education. The main points raised have actually been that religious education is a positive thing and provides background knowledge to a host of other areas of learning.

BUT - religious education in state schools MUST be better monitored so that one religion is not given credence over others - because THAT does become harmful.

BertrandRussell · 09/10/2018 14:28

DancingDot- that is complete bollocks, blackmail and incredibly unfair.

BertrandRussell · 09/10/2018 14:30

Sorry- the no Father Christmas if you don't go to Assembly thing is complete bollocks, blackmail and completely unfair, not your subsequent post!

Wherearemycarkeys · 09/10/2018 15:18

Because religion has been around for thousands of years and shaped societies? Because religious studies allows students to discuss important moral issues and look at them from many points of view? Because understanding religion helps you to understand history, politics,sociology, Anthropology... Because learning about different people and different religions encourages understanding and acceptance? Because lack of understanding in issues like this can cause divides, fear, prejudice? Because just because you're not interested in something, doesnt mean other people are? I could go on but I think I've made my point ...

Wherearemycarkeys · 09/10/2018 15:22

Also, it's not like they teach you to BE Christian when you study Christianity, or they teach you to BE Hindu when you study Hinduism, etc, just like when you study Nazi Germany or something in History they don't teach you to BE Nazis 😂 it's an incredibly interesting and important topic, especially in such a multicultural society! Sorry I know I said I was done but this thread has just blown my mind... I literally can't comprehend how a subject which promotes understanding and acceptance among human beings is different religions and cultures, and encourages students to discuss essential moral issues, can be deemed unimportant 🤯

BertrandRussell · 09/10/2018 15:31

"Also, it's not like they teach you to BE Christian when you study Christianity,"

In many primary schools they do exactly that.

QuizzlyBear · 09/10/2018 15:38

It's mandatory until 14 I believe at state schools. I get that kids need an understanding of the world's religions, just so that they know why someone feels a certain way - but yes, twaddle.

IMO it ought to be lumped under citizenship unless a student has a yearning for the priesthood, in which case they can take it as a selective gcse.

Sparklesocks · 09/10/2018 15:39

I’m not religious but I do think it can be quite useful from a balanced educational perspective rather than ‘you should believe this’, large chunks of the global population follow a religion so it’s not completely irrelevant to study the belief system and history of the largest ones to see how they influence(d) humanity and culture.

Also to understand the context of historical events it can be useful to have knowledge on those specific religions’ places in the world at different times and how they are viewed by those who oppose it – e.g. the crusades, or the holocaust, the Troubles.

It depends on the school but I think it’s valuable to introduce to young people the big questions which religion poses – the meaning of life, why are we here etc, why people turn to religion to fill those answers. Big complex stuff I know, and I don’t expect kids to grasp it all, but I think it’s educational to get them to think about philosophical matters and issues of morality. When I was in secondary school we also discussed things like abortion and gay marriage, and explored critical thinking and debate.

Additionally it teaches tolerance and acceptance to an extent, e.g understanding that other people hold may opposing beliefs to you. Religion goes hand in hand with history, culture and philosophy so I think there’s value in learning about it.

QuizzlyBear · 09/10/2018 15:40

In my DSs secondary school - year 7 - I got very irate because when they started term their RS teacher posed the question 'Do you believe in God?'

The only answers available on the sheet were 'yes' or 'I don't know'. 🤯

MoominMamaBear · 09/10/2018 15:41

My DS who is in Year 1 came home from school last week and told me that God made the world in 7 days. As an Atheist, I can’t say I was thrilled by this. I have no idea if this information is being presented as fact or conjecture (non-denominational school, so I’m hoping the latter). I’d much rather they spend the time on something else at that age.

Sethis · 09/10/2018 15:42

You can answer this very easily in two movie quotes.

"People always fear what they don't understand"

"Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering"

DancingDot · 09/10/2018 15:44

@Bertrand, I know. The head runs the school like her own little fiefdom and when challenged on it she advised me that the school was not "non-denominational" but "Church of Scotland" influenced? Which is clearly rubbish. Thankfully my older child is fairly pragmatic and very rational so he has decided to stay in the class/attend the services because he is in the choir (who normally sign only pop/rock songs but are expected to sign carols at Christmas) and wants to keep that up - as he quite rightly says "They're just stories and songs like any others".

@Wherearemycarkeys

it's not like they teach you to BE Christian when you study Christianity This is exactly what they are doing in my child's supposed no-faith school. They have 31 weeks of Christian bible stories in P1 and 10 weeks of "Stories from Other Faiths". What does that say about the assumed supremacy of one religion of the others?

DancingDot · 09/10/2018 15:47

over not of...

GreenMeerkat · 09/10/2018 15:51

I went to a catholic primary school and I remember religion being featured quite heavily which is fair enough for a religious school.

I went in to a non religious high school and RE was all about learning different religions and cultures and what different people believe and why. That part of the curriculum I do think is important because it helps to promote inclusivity. As long as it shows a balanced view and not saying 'this religion is right etc' then I don't see an issue.

Bekabeech · 09/10/2018 15:56

In England because it is compulsory in the 1944 education act.
All schools have to teach some form of RE to 16 (and are supposed to have a daily "act of worship" which tends to be glossed over).

In countries where there is a strict separation of Religion and Schools there tends to be less understanding of others beliefs eg. introducing compulsory Pork into school lunches. Religious Education in this country tends to involve a lot of learning about "other" faiths, and I would support humanism being included. My DC's secondary school take it to GCSE on 1 lesson a week (the local Catholic school needs double this). As well as learning about 2 religions in some detail (Christianity and Buddhism at present), they also cover a lot of ethic issues.

Even at my DC's C of E Primary school (with lots of Christian teachers) they learnt about other faiths, from reception. Including visits to a Hindu temple and visits from Religious leaders of various faiths.

NecklessMumster · 09/10/2018 15:57

My ds's school did it as 'Philosophy and Ethics' which would have been fine if they had covered those subjects. Instead they had to learn by rote 'muslim views on....abortion/euthanasia etc and Christian views on.....' It was simplistic and reductive and then evolution was paraded next to creationism with equal footing, actually a bias towards fundamentalism. My son struggling with answering 'why might prayers not work?'. Set answer was basically " cos god knows best "
..

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