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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To remove dd from RS

473 replies

MossandRoy · 04/02/2021 10:39

The lack of balance is annoying. There is an assumption that there is a god. There is an assumption that everyone believes in that god. I can remove her. Has anyone done this successfully? I'm concerned she'll be given a hard time...

OP posts:
KeflavikAirport · 04/02/2021 18:31

No it shouldn’t. It’s illegal where I live. You want your kids to learn about religion, you can teach them the basics yourself in an afternoon.

ConcreteUnderpants · 04/02/2021 18:35

Perhaps if more people learned from others, had discussions without disrespecting their beliefs and were more tolerant, then the world wouldn’t be in such a mess...

Hardbackwriter · 04/02/2021 18:35

@KeflavikAirport

No it shouldn’t. It’s illegal where I live. You want your kids to learn about religion, you can teach them the basics yourself in an afternoon.
If you don't teach children the basics of religion then you leave most art, literature and history pretty inaccessible to them.
SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 04/02/2021 18:35

@KeflavikAirport - you don’t think that living in a diverse society means it is a good thing to understand the basics of other people’s beliefs?

I also think that there is a lot of art, music, poetry and drama in the world that has its basis in different religions, and thus, having a basic understanding of these faiths makes it easier to understand the nuances of that art etc.

Ginfordinner · 04/02/2021 18:37

We will have to agree to disagree KeflavikAirport. Most parents won't teach their children about other religions, and I doubt that they would provide a balanced and impartial view.

I think it is very important that children understand about things like Ramadan, yom kippur, diwali etc as much as they need to understand the story behind Easter and Christmas. It should presented as "some people believe"

Why is it illegal to teach children to learn about other religions where you live @KeflavikAirport?

Hardbackwriter · 04/02/2021 18:38

@MossandRoy

Thanks for responding all. Not a faith school, no. She's Yr 7. Been annoyed at rs from about Yr 2. This morning's lesson particularly annoyed her. It was about a famous religious person who is idolised, but there was no balance to say that this person was also very unkind to those who didn't hold the same views, would only help 'believers'. We had a chat about it all and that prompted the conversation (again) about taking her out of the lessons. She has very much already decided for herself. 'You don't need a god to be a good person'

I can't disagree.

I have no problem at all believing that an individual teacher is teaching this badly and inappropriately, but if you've felt this about every teacher who has taught her RS since year 2 - so 7 of them - then I do think the issue might be you (and that she is unlikely to be 'making up her own mind' to the extent you've told yourself she is)
Serin · 04/02/2021 18:41

Unanananana
I like your approach.

KeflavikAirport · 04/02/2021 18:42

if you don't teach children the basics of religion then you leave most art, literature and history pretty inaccessible to them.

You can say the same of philosophy but no one here is clamouring for that to be taught in schools.

MissyB1 · 04/02/2021 18:42

Doubt very much it’s the teacher at fault here...

KeflavikAirport · 04/02/2021 18:43

Perhaps if more people learned from others, had discussions without disrespecting their beliefs and were more tolerant, then the world wouldn’t be in such a mess...

Perhaps the world wouldn’t be in such a mess if it were secular.

TheRuleofStix · 04/02/2021 18:44

@MaddeningtheUnhelpful how do they get away with teaching that shit???? Shock

HappyTimeTunnelDinosaur · 04/02/2021 18:45

I feel sorry for the teacher here, personally I would insist my daughter did attend so that she gets as varied an education as possible. Just because you don't agree with something, doesn't mean it isn't worth knowing.

VinylDetective · 04/02/2021 18:45

@KeflavikAirport

Perhaps if more people learned from others, had discussions without disrespecting their beliefs and were more tolerant, then the world wouldn’t be in such a mess...

Perhaps the world wouldn’t be in such a mess if it were secular.

If the world was secular it would still be in a mess. Do you seriously think all the world’s numerous problems are due to religion?
KeflavikAirport · 04/02/2021 18:47

Not all of them of course, but a pretty large chunk of them are.

TheRuleofStix · 04/02/2021 18:47

My biggest issue with RE, especially at primary, is that atheism is never included. Most of the children in my class have no religion in their life at all so why is a life without god never taught alongside all the god stuff?

HappyTimeTunnelDinosaur · 04/02/2021 18:47

@KeflavikAirport A secular world would be no better or worse, people are the problem and sadly will always find something to fight about - money, power, land, oil, food...

KeflavikAirport · 04/02/2021 18:49

Suuuure.

BungleandGeorge · 04/02/2021 18:49

@PotholeParadies

I had problems with RS in one school, because over the months, it became clear that Bible stories were being taught as fact, and stories of other religions were being presented as stories from other countries.

I do not send my children to school to be told that the Flood and Noah's Ark literally happened.

I have found this too. It depends on the teacher and the SLT and ethos of the school. It’s not always totally overt but I didn’t really expect kids to be going to church for every Christian celebration at a non faith school. I also don’t believe faith schools should exist. I have no problems with a balanced approach, learning about all religions
SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 04/02/2021 18:49

Well, @KeflavikAirport, the world isn’t secular at the moment, and I don’t see it becoming secular any time soon, so in the meantime, I think it is vital that we understand people of different faiths and people of none. Wishing to live in a secular society doesn’t exempt anyone from having to live in the current religiously diverse society.

And even if society did become secular overnight, all the things I mentioned - art, poetry etc - from different religions will still exist, and people will still want to appreciate and understand them - I am not sure how they can do this without learning about the faiths that this art is based on.

I think we also need to understand the fundamentals of different faiths, so we can understand their impact on world history.

VinylDetective · 04/02/2021 18:50

@TheRuleofStix

My biggest issue with RE, especially at primary, is that atheism is never included. Most of the children in my class have no religion in their life at all so why is a life without god never taught alongside all the god stuff?
How do you teach a negative?
RootyT00t · 04/02/2021 18:51

@MossandRoy

Thanks for responding all. Not a faith school, no. She's Yr 7. Been annoyed at rs from about Yr 2. This morning's lesson particularly annoyed her. It was about a famous religious person who is idolised, but there was no balance to say that this person was also very unkind to those who didn't hold the same views, would only help 'believers'. We had a chat about it all and that prompted the conversation (again) about taking her out of the lessons. She has very much already decided for herself. 'You don't need a god to be a good person'

I can't disagree.

It's an re lesson.

Is she annoyed or are you annoyed?

RootyT00t · 04/02/2021 18:53

@MissyB1

Doubt very much it’s the teacher at fault here...
It's always the teaches fault. These threads drive me mad. People picking one thing out of a lesson and deciding they are pulling their child out. Times are hard enough.
Hardbackwriter · 04/02/2021 18:54

I can't understand how a person can believe both that religion is responsible for nearly all the world's evils and also that the school curriculum should pretend that religion doesn't exist.

Tal45 · 04/02/2021 18:59

My son's RE work folder had a photocopy where he had had to trace out the words 'I am a Christian' when he was in Yr 1 or 2. I was quite shocked seeing as he wasn't a Christian.
Your daughter will be far more influenced by what you tell her so I wouldn't worry, my son is a staunch non believer.

MintyMabel · 04/02/2021 19:00

She has very much already decided for herself

I think you’re fooling yourself if you think her view on it has been reached independently. You clearly have a problem with religious education and that will have rubbed off on her, even if you think you’ve been subtle.

Give her the choice. She might decide that being excluded from it is not what she wants.

DD was kind of on the fence about religion but has decided it’s all made up stuff. Influenced no doubt by our views on it, but she still joins the lunchtime club run by a local religious leader. She went to a summer club too. She likes the social side of it, the fun and games and being with her friends. She just keeps respectfully quiet during all the religious stuff.

I’m not sure why you think she needs to be excluded from it if she has her own views on it.