Too much religion at school ?

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How much does your child's school reference religion in teaching about something else? We don't identify as Christian or any religion and our child just started at our local village C of E school last week. We realised that there would be teaching about different religions, however the second day of school they have learnt Christian songs and the first term 'homework' has a big section to read out about Jesus, using it to explain respect, which in our opinion could have been done using loads of other examples in a secular way. Am I being unreasonable to expect that they shouldn't be pushing this as the first homework example? Is this common with your experiences of C of E schools?

Why not tell her that different people believe different things. That you don't believe in God and Jesus, but other people do.

Yes let's all go back to the good old days where children were seen not heard, women were the property of their husbands, homosexuality was illegal and so was abortion.

Just to echo others - I personally don’t feel religion should play a part in my daughter’s education but she goes to a C of E school. Because the nearest non C of E school is 30 miles away.

I don’t think it’s so much the problem of telling our kids that different people believe in different things. We should absolutely be telling our kids that. I think it’s more so the issue with being made to practice the religion itself, an example being made to pray to god in school assembly.

It's a faith school. That's what happens. There is a depressing amount of religion in many non faith schools too- but not usually as bad.

There are no secular state schools, by the way.

Because that's not what the school are saying.

Plus the school is in a position of authority and have an enhanced platform to broadcast these views to the children in their care. As a parent it is perfectly fine to use what authority you have in your own house to counter that and to do so as vehemently as you wish.

Thanks everyone, it's been really helpful to read your different experiences of schools, to know what to expect and how to frame it at home. Yes it was the only option, plus all other village schools surrounding us are also CoE. None of my friends kids at other CoE schools have had homework like this, they seem much more relaxed, so I wanted to get a sense check from others. I went to a CofE school which was a relatively relaxed one too, just the usual nativity, harvest assembly etc. I'm happy all her friends are there etc, and in other respects it seems fine. I'm just disappointed as it's come up immediately in what I think is a pretty unrelated 'lesson' to include - I really would not have expected paragraphs of Bible stories to read at home to a 4 year old to explain respect! Fingers crossed it will chill out a bit, and will prepare myself for Christmas and explaining all the delightful imagery of a dead man hanging off a cross. Thanks for all your input! 👍

I wonder if they are due a SIAMS inspection if they are being s bit full on. Is one of their values Respect?

"I don’t think it’s so much the problem of telling our kids that different people believe in different things. We should absolutely be telling our kids that."

Of course. But the school is telling her that Christianity is truth.

Yes absolutely, which is why in my post i also mentioned that the problem is being made to practice the religion itself. I think the example I gave is being made to pray during school assembly. I don’t want my kids praying to a fictional character. Totally agree with you :)

It’s not just assembly in many schools. Daily act of worship is compulsory. Praying before lessons is not. It’s just the church being on a mission to recruit and these religious heads being given the jobs.

Not sure if this applies to you OP or anyone else reading but if you are in Wales there's always an option to avoid religious schools as you can get free transport to Welsh medium schools.

That’s just as bad! Welsh or Religion? Neither thanks.

We're lucky - in that some of our local schools are CoE and some are community schools. So when we were selecting a village to live in, we were able to choose a school with a community school. But it does make me wonder if it is ok for the non-religious to have to avoid some areas. There's still to much religion in the community school - I think that depends on the headteacher. It feels like there's an assumption that the mostly white school population is Christian and I don't think that is true for our local area.

I object to Christianity being taught in school as true, as for a child from a non-religious background, I think it really undermines the rest of the school's teaching.

They found my DD1 a bit odd as she doesn't join in with singing religious songs or praying - they are used to telling children off for not joining in, but her rational "I don't believe it, so I am not going to sing it" approach challenged them. They've also had one of the local ministers telling the children what great role models Billy Graham and Mother Theresa are - which led to some interesting conversations at home.

If my only choice of school was a CoE school then I would probably exercise my rights to remove the child from all worship. I'd want to make it as awkward as possible for them to weave religion through the day.

@SausageinaBun How do you avoid the religious sayings? The prayers before lessons? How do you avoid those “Christian values” in every newsletter? The Bible quotes in the newsletter? The second paragraph in the newsletter being about the theme for worship? Again! Never detailed themes about other areas of the curriculum. A majority of Foundation Governors representing the Church and outnumbering all the others. This isn’t even an Aided school. It’s not “light touch” at all.

I don't think you have to avoid all of it. Christian values are also generally held secular values, albeit with a different rationale. The child doesn't read the newsletters. You just withdraw your child from the bits that the school is legally obliged to allow you to remove them from. That might be awkward for the school, but that might actually be part of the point.

What being fully bilingual with all the benefits that brings is as bad as wasting curriculum time on utter made up rubbish?

@SausageinaBun I've seen people do that and in all honesty the child suffers as they literally sit alone in corridors with an iPad.

@partypompoms - I assume that's what happens for assembly, but what do schools do that put prayers in here and there? Surely they'd find the child yoyoing in and out a pain, so might consolidate their worship to fewer times a day.

To be honest, I think my DDs might prefer a corridor and an ipad to some of the patronising "Jesus loves you" assemblies they've had.

No interest in DC being forced to do Welsh. The Welsh can learn Welsh obviously but others shouldn’t be forced and bribed. DD1 has two additional languages which, as she’s English, mean more to her and she enjoys the culture they bring with them.

I guess the answer is don't live in Wales then. I'm not suggesting people in Newcastle or Devon learn it of course.

Anyway I don't want to derail the thread. I'm just pointing out that there are options for people in Wales didn't know that.

The problem is that removing your child means that a) you are making your child an involuntary participant in a campaign and b) your child is being prevented from taking a full part in the school day of a state funded institution. A child of any faith and none should be able to go to assembly!

Nothing wrong with learning Welsh in school-it's only a problem if you also have to say you believe in dragons.....

will prepare myself for Christmas and explaining all the delightful imagery of a dead man hanging off a cross.

not at Christmas you won’t. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, not of his death and resurrection.