To email school AGAIN re religious assemblies

[pineapplepenthouse]

I have twins in year 4 both in different classes. I have expressed my feelings about not letting them be involved in religious assemblies or having anything to do with religion. My children are in different classes. Today for the third time my DDs has come home saying he has been included in the religious assembly.
I have strong feelings on this but other mums just say 'it's not a big deal' and 'it didn't do us any harm'.

AIBU?

One of the best bits of doing assemblies is introducing children to philosophy and ethics
I would also be very very concerned about a priest introducing children to philosophy and ethics. Scary.

But this will not change the fact that the norm in state schools is Christianity.
Fortunately in England a lot of secondary schools just ignore the law on daily acts of worship. Its quickly becoming redundant.

Well, I have worked in school where there isn't any worship integrated into assemblies. Great.
On schools that there is, it is part of a main assembly.
In faith school, you could have a whole liturgy.
Legal duty is to provide a rounded education. You have multiples of school to choose from so if the way they pray for 5-10mins really bothers you, well you know what to do. Many schools have no fzity elements. Unless you are purporting that the school only started doing this after your child have gained admission.
This is a pointless, futile and e titled hassle whilst we could be debating how to support Sophie whose dD has been sent to Afghanistan and also reading below age related expectations or even little Leen who hasn't had breakfast yet again making it twice this week.
Get over yourselves people.

Sorry too many typos for me to count. Soz

@Creambeforejam how do I have multiple schools to choose from? There is only one! Unless I put them to private school, which is not financially possible.

And ALL schools in Scotland have religious worship. By law they have to. So any Non-Dom school would be the same.

If this is such a hugs deal for you, speak to the school or your child. He/she won't be forced to sing so or pray. So he may use the time to relax.

But this will not change the fact that the norm in state schools is Christianity.

Just as the norm in schools in countries such as Iran and Iraq would be Islam?

@leaveby10

indoctrination:
noun
the process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically

We do NOT indoctrinate our children at my school - we teach them to be ‘critical thinkers’ therefore they are taught to evaluate different belief systems at an age appropriate level.

“Just as the norm in schools in countries such as Iran and Iraq would be Islam?”

Blimey. Are you really suggesting we should model ourselves on Iran or Iraq?

What is scary about a priest introducing philosophy and ethics? My degrees are from secular universities and two post graduate level. Ethics is fascinating.

Unless you are purporting that the school only started doing this after your child have gained admission.

RTFT. Or even the first post! The OP has twins who are in different classes in the same year - one is being allowed to not attend the religious assemblies this year, the other is being made to by his class teacher. On just the second page the OP says that there has never been a problem in previous years regarding her children not going to religious assemblies.

So yes the school, or in fact what appears to be just the one teacher, HAVE changed the practice there from previous years.

Three different degrees and still unable to proof a post. Hey ho.

Lol at this thread.
Just out of interest, isn't comprehension taught as part of English language anymore?

Sorry my lack of proof reading annoyed you - mostlydrinkstea.
If this was a thesis, I may have done. Texting on the tiniest phonenah! If you couldn't read in btn the mambo jambo, then you may be the fortunate one. Women's debatelet's go straight for the person who has said something we don't agree with not the issue being debated.

I strongly believe that as parents we should be made aware of anything like this. I would email and go into the school and see the head teacher. You have expressed multiple times that you don't want to have your children included in this and thay should be respected.

Assemblies are not necessarily about 'Christian' worship.

But these are, @BlueSlipperSocks.

And even if it is all about Christian worship in OP's children's school what exactly is the problem with them singing a song - and there are never hymns anymore - or learning about ethics and values?

Come off it, you know that a religious ceremony will involve more than singing songs. It will involve prayers, and talking about the Christian God and Christian teaching. If they are talking about ethics and values, it will be in that context.

And I'm sure you don't believe that the only place children can learn about ethics and values is via Christian assemblies.

Are your children exempt from taking part in the largest Christian festival every year OP? Are they exempt from learning about The Nativity? Or are they only allowed to take part in Christmas plays if it involved Jack Frost? Do they have Easter eggs?

Not that one again. Christmas and Easter originated as pagan celebrations, it is perfectly possible to celebrate them without taking part in Christian acts of worship. Since OP is fine with her children attending RE, obviously they aren't exempt from learning about the Nativity; the point is, they don't have to believe that it has anything to do with the child in question being a son of God and all the rest of it.

If this is such a hugs deal for you, speak to the school or your child. He/she won't be forced to sing so or pray. So he may use the time to relax.

It's right there in the first post, Creambeforejam: OP very obviously has spoken to the school. And it's not a matter of using the time sitting in assembly to relax, it's a matter of the school's legal duty to comply with OP's wish to withdraw her child.

I still remember only too vividly the hours of boredom sitting in compulsory school services, getting increasingly resentful. It wasn't in the least relaxing. I used to listen to "Lord, now lettest thou they servant depart in peace" thinking "If only ...."

Apologies if this has been posted. The actual guidance for Scotland doesn’t have to involve any worship at all it can be called “time for reflection” instead and would encompass things like Holocaust Memorial Day. Scot gov quote below:
In recognition of Scotland's Christian heritage, non-denominational schools are also encouraged to draw upon the rich resources of this tradition when planning RO. However, school communities typically include pupils and staff from a variety of faiths and belief perspectives, and this must be taken fully into account in supporting spiritual development. It is of central importance that all pupils and staff can participate with integrity in forms of RO without compromise to their personal beliefs
So it shouldn’t involve anything that a non-believer or follower of another faith couldn’t be involved in. I would say that rules out praying.

The saddest thing about this thread is the attitude of parents who believe their children should only learn what they think they should learn. It is sad because they will need to understand a multitude of issues as they grow older and not knowing something about religion may harm their relationships with others, particularly at university. There are those who will not allow their children to read the Bible and I cannot understand this at all. It contains the most information about ancient humans and the way they lived. It outlines the ancient courts of law. It has poetry and literature. A child has to choose a career sooner or later: how are they meant to do that? There is a wealth of history, how people lived, and so much info for budding archaeologists that it beggars believe that parents should not allow their children to read it and learn. It is far more than religion. Every country in the world bases it's laws on the ten commandments. We learn peace and love from the teachings of Christ: what is wrong with that? Children are like the robot in the film who went through a whole library saying 'input, more input'. When they are older they can decide what to believe or not. The Old Testament is important to Muslims, Jews and Christians, all descendants of Abraham. I just cannot understand the vehemence of people who think their children will be better adults if they only learn what their parents say they should. I do not know many adults who vote for the same political party as their parents, and that is in large part down to the fact of negativism.

Come on Llizzie. The gulf between learning about religions and participating in a religion is so huge that one would have to be willfully dense not to distinguish between the two.

“The saddest thing about this thread is the attitude of parents who believe their children should only learn what they think they should learn.“
I don’t actually think there are any posters like that on here.

A child has to choose a career sooner or later: how are they meant to do that?

What does reading the bible have to do with choosing a career?!

Children are like the robot in the film who went through a whole library saying 'input, more input'.

Kind of contradicts the argument about it all going over their heads anyway.

@crimsonrose et al: Why you would say this country is not Christian I cannot understand. What difference would it make if we all went against Christianity and the peace and love and commandments (obey your parents if you want to live long in the land your parents live in) if you do not teach them. Do you think sharia law where the death sentence and amputations are standard punishments? What makes those punishments abhorrent to us? It is the teachings of Christ who said 'you were ignorant of the law so you were not to blame, but now that I have given you the law you have no excuse.' Our laws are based on Christianity. Her Majesty the Queen is Head of the Church of England - Anglican. The Constitution of the British Isles states that only a Christian monarch can sit on the throne. Our laws are based on the ten commandments and the teachings of Jesus. How can you teach children about the Monarchy, Government and law if they do not have at least a smattering of Christianity and if the parents are ignorant of the knowledge and cannot teach their children, they should at least allow the school to teach them something. Parliament prays before they meet, How do you explain that to your child? How do you explain the service of Remembrance, and why church services are held when disaster strikes?