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?

Clearly not absurd as many CofE schools are very popular with parents in many places. 🤷‍♀️

It’s positively medieval!

@7Worfs "Clearly not absurd as many CofE schools are very popular with parents in many places. "

Some parents will jump through any hoop to access selective education. Even selective education by stealth. That doesn't make the concept of faith schools any less absurd.

Why would/why should a non religious parent have to be forced to move or home school their children, because there is no option other than sending them to a faith based school?? They pay all sorts of taxes, all their lives, a lot of which goes into education. Given this why does that non parent have to pay for the religious schooling of your child?? How is that right, how is that fair? And yet, you are saying that if the non religious parent doesn’t like it they can simply move or home educate? How does that make sense?

Agree that if schools are funded by the state they should be secular. Religious schools are not fussy about whose taxes they use to fund it.
I send my child to their local village school because they is my community and I want my child to be a part of that community. It’s C of E. I just have to put up and shut up and play the game.
But on principle I don’t think it should be like this.

“Absurd” is a personal opinion really, not a fact.

Moaning about faith schools and how everyone should be as enlightened as atheist me so we can finally scrap them is just not as popular a notion on MN or wider society as OP thought.

“Absurd” is a personal opinion really, not a fact.

Oh the irony of trying to defend the existence of religious schools with this line. Religious schools being absurd in this day and age is more than a personal opinion, could you imagine atheist dedicating their time and even careers to going into places of worship to explain to religious children how atheism is the truth as a daily part of their worship? I’m pretty sure not only would religious parents be furious at the idea, but then to be told ‘well if you don’t like it, move to an area where atheists do not have a stronghold on the local community and it’s values.’ would probably cause some sort of political action…

Yes, because in many places it's, inexplicably, the only option available.

This really isn't difficult to grasp.

No, it's a fact.

The uk is a secular country. Access to education should reflect that. The days of the C of E being able to brainwash kids should be long gone. If religious types want to do that, fine, but they should pay for it out of their own pockets and it should be an alternative to mainstream education.

@7Worfs
How would you feel about NHS hospitals that gave priority to people of faith? Libraries?

You’ve got my every sympathy OP. Schools should be secular. You’ve had to send your child to a local school, and one which is high attaining etc, and that leaves you with little choice but to send DC to a religious school. You shouldn’t have to, and indoctrination of school children should be illegal, like it is France. YANBU

Tbf I went to a CofE school in a village, and all the schools in the district were CofE so my parents had little choice. I don't remember too much religion (high days & holidays) back in the 80s but my brother's kids went to the same Primary as us and DB noted it was getting a bit more evangelical. However, our memories may have clouded.

The CofE controls a helluva lot of schools in rural areas and market towns, unfortunately. My DD went to a non denominational Primary & Secondary, but we live in London and there's much more choice. To go to a religious school in London requires proof of church attendance, which doesn't apply back at my home village.

I am pro-secularism in schools. Neither I, nor my brother, nor his children nor my daughter are religious in the slightest!

The National Secular Society are highlighting the fact that the CofE are seeing their schools as a way to recruit new followers and the approach is ever more evangelical in nature. The CofE aren't stupid. Whether their plan will be successful (and put bums on seats in church) remains to be seen.

Give over. I went to a secular schools. We did zero to do with religion in infant & primary, we sang ABBA and The Carpenters in assembly's and celebrated easter with bunny drawings and easter eggs. We had one disruptive child in that whole school which i assume these days would be diagnosed with ADHD. We got taught about love and kindness without having to refer to an unknown 'being'

I opted out of RE in senior school too, i went to the library and completed homework from more useful subjects in that time.

God/religion means absolutely NOTHING to me, and is certainly not something that should ever be held in authority.

I do not see any relation to the reduction in religious studies to the decline in behaviours?

I’m not convinced of this tbh.

The 2021 census showed that less than half the population identifies at Christian. The second most popular answer was no religion.

I don't agree with religious schools and disagree that everyone has the choice of a secular school- we didn't.
That said, I've given up worrying about the religious indoctrination. I just tell them that Christianity has lots of good stories, but that I don't personally believe in a God. And that they are allowed to keep an open mind and decide for themselves what they think.

It's not as simple as "public funds paying for faith schools". The CoE generally own the land and buildings of CoE schools. Not the LA, not the academy/Trust. They also make financial contributions to the school, depending on whether VA or VC

In many rural settings, the church school is the only school the village has ever had, and ever will have. Bear in mind that historically, education was provided by the Church and God-fearing benefactors! State funded education in Englsvd onky came in in 1870. Pupil numbers and costs won't justify building a new, secular school. Even if the CoE agreed to relinquish their involvement in the school, who would pay for the land and buildings ?

You picked a church school and now you’re annoyed that there is too much church?

sounds like you need to go back to school !

If the CoE were doing it altruistically they would allow the schools to be run in an equitable secular manner. Y'know, if the reason they were financially contributing was purely to provide education regardless of religious influence.

The fact that they don't tells us very plainly that they are in it purely to get future bumps on pews.

Have you actually read any of this thread?

I have no issue with faith schools carrying out religious practices.
What I find unpalatable is the DfE requirement that ALL schools should conduct a daily act of worship. If people want that, there are faith schools. Outside RE lessons I see no necessity to inflict religion on people in secular schools.

Everything in life is a choice. Regardless of what drives choices and what the alternative options are, we make informed choices.

The OP had a choice and I struggle to understand what on earth they expected? My kids went to a joint CofE and Catholic school, where all faiths were celebrated, but obviously RE was a huge part of their day, everyday. I made that choice for them over other schools in the area.

if you don’t want the religious aspect, choose another provision. Expecting a church school to not be churchy is just stupid!

If the only PS your child can attend is C o E, what choice, exactly, is there?

And don't say "move" or "why did you choose to live there" because that's stupid.

The UK is a secular country. Education should reflect that. It's not hard.

Choice. There is always choice. You’ve basically just said that there is a choice to move or travel. You just don’t think it’s a viable choice. it’s still a choice and I’d move.

Because education is important to me, I’ve made every house choice on the basis of schools and opportunities for the children.

So if people can't move away from the place where their home, job, family and support network are they don't value education?

Not as much as their family, Supoort network etc, no.

People make decisions all the time, based on their values and experiences.

it’s actually very liberating when you accept that you made the choice ( even when you don’t like it!)