To think that a RECEPTION teacher shouldn't have said this ???

[AutumnalPumpkin]

My daughter goes to a catholic school (it was the only school available to us) we are not a religious family, but it does not bother me that she is being immersed in religion. After all, she will only make her own mind up later in life anyway. But this is relevant.
They use god in almost every part of the day, and in all aspects of learning.
As those who are not religious will know, we and a lot of others view god as "made up" or a myth, if you will.
Now this brings me to where I have a problem - her reception teacher has picked up on some of the class talking about unicorns. A typical 4/5 year old thing... and has proceeded to tell them that Unicorns, fairies and dragons etc are all made up, and do not exist.
This is absolute insanity to me!!? They are 4/5 and all have wonderful vivid imaginations.
We regularly take my daughter to "the fairy forest" and she immerses herself into it and tries to find clues to where the fairies could be hiding, and loves to think that at nighttime all of the magical creatures come out to play.
She's now come home saying that it's all untrue and they are made up.
I'm actually really upset about this.
How can you push the belief of god, and they go all out for Santa etc. but actively shut down the belief of magical creatures ??

I don’t think this has anything to do with the school being catholic tbh.

I used to teach year 1 and imo it’s important for children to know what is real and what isn’t. For example when teaching the dinosaurs, to explain to them that these are real creatures that existed millions of years ago (even this is quite difficult for some of them to understand). Are there still dinosaurs today? No. Did any of them breathe fire? No, those are dragons which aren’t real. Etc etc. Dragons and unicorns are fun but they belong in story books and don’t exist in the real world. I don’t see what the benefit is for children to think they’re real.

Santa and the tooth fairy are different imo as they interact directly with children. I would never tell them that these didn’t exist, but I also wouldn’t lie and say directly that they did. It would be ‘what do you think, did you get some money from the tooth fairy this year?’ or other ways of trying to deflect the question!

I am a teacher in a mainstream school without any religious affiliation. I do not teach that unicorns and fairies are real. If asked, I would tell the children that they are mythical and only in stories. I would love to do the same for the tooth fairy and Elf on the Shelf but it would annoy too many parents so I play along. I think the vast majority of children know that fairies and unicorns are not real tbh. I have never known a child who didn't. If I said that they were real I'd have a lot of raised eyebrows from children, parents and colleagues.

This is absolutely nothing to do with it being a Catholic school, I assure you, this is a rogue, miserable teacher. I wouldn’t be happy either OP it’s not the teachers place to decide what ‘magic’ your child does or doesn’t believe in.

My child is at a catholic school their p1 topic was fairytales with a visit from a magic fairy that moved around. They also have Halloween disco. I doubt it is anything to do with being a catholic school.

I also doubt the teacher overheard the children playing and decided to shatter the illusion. More likely she was asked a direct question. Or one child said "miss, sure unicorns aren't real?" And she could hardly lie.

Your child hasnt lost anything. Just say "it is fun to pretend and you never know maybe we will find one"

I can't speak for secondary but in my 30 years primary teaching experience I have never once witnessed children learning or singing 'Christian' hymns. And the only Religious Education I've ever taught is that which teaches the children about all religions.. Hindu, Buddhist etc etc. Schools aren't slightly, or a bit, or somewhat Christian.. that is just completely and utterly not the case. I think in all honesty you're just trying to justify your decision to send your child to a Catholic school because, well all schools are 'a bit' religious aren't they?

" I just dont see why she needed to say anything, Catholic school or not."

It's very unlikely that she wandered up
To a group of happily playing children and dropped this unsolicited information don't you think? Far more likely that someone asked her the question, regardless of the account you've been given by your 4 year old child.

Unicorns are mentioned 8 times in the Bible

You’ve just answered your own question. The teacher isn’t catholic and is a Hindu. I was under the impression they believe in reincarnation, to others that is a myth.

I don’t believe this has much to do with being a catholic school. She’s just an awful person. Why crush a child’s imagination?

You have another choice of school, you just prefer to walk to school.

By the way, our school is not religious. We never sing hymns. However, we have Religious Studies every fortnight where children learn about all religions.

Obviously the teacher

• quashing 5yr old imagination is bordering on abuse. ( luke : It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.)

In rc reception I was taught about angels, the fall, holy ghost, the three in one as "real" which is theological bullshit.
In reality these were only ever allegories, the main teaching method in times when few people could read.

The thought of the devil on one shoulder and the good angel on the other plagued me into my teens.

IMHO religions are the source of much evil in the world, tolerance is possibly the only practical belief

All state, public ally funded schools in England (I don't know about elsewhere in the uk) should have daily collective worship of a broadly Christian nature. It's part of the Education Act and hasn't, iirr, been amended since it was set out back in the 1940s.

When I was at school this was hymns in assembly, etc. The Come and Praise hymn book was a well known school assembly book in many state schools. It's probably also why many people around my age have a fairly decent knowledge of older 'school' hymns.

I've taught now for over 25 years and can't remember the last time I was in an assembly which had religious hymns being sung. Even the Christmas sings tend to be more songs than hymns, being maybe one or two as part of a nativity play.

We do have the odd assembly where the local vicar comes in - there's a harvest festival one next week here. But it's maybe once or twice a year, if that and still isn't overtly done. Mentions of god and Jesus, etc are all said with the "some people believe that ..." or "Christians believe ..." statement, like we do in RE lessons.

The schools where I worked (also 30 yrs) definitely did.

Yep, I agree - 80s/90s kids here and my teachers would have told us it wasn’t really either but maybe things have changed.

OP, you don’t know for sure what context this came up in exactly as you weren’t there and kids can easily forget or miss things.

Perhaps another kid did ask if they were real or seek confirmation that they were not and the teacher just agreed .

Personally I’d have known by age 4 unicorns etc weren’t really, but I also had a vivid imagination and still enjoyed making up stories with fairies etc! No harm done surely.

Did she randomly bring this up out of the blue with no context whatsoever? Highly doubt that.

Ahem - all else aside, to the couple of PPs including witches in the mythical lexicon….. I’m a witch …. (Pinches self) and I’m definitely real. Or maybe we’re all figments of our own imaginations…..

Also - if my theory is true, that aliens are time travellers because time travel has been invented in the future, whose to say that all this mythical creatures weren’t the result of genetic engineering and some of them escaped, got seen by our “primitive” selves and then were beamed up again leaving a legacy of awe and wonder…

54 and I’m still 4 at heart on this subject….. let the wee ones have their magick…. Harsh adult reality comes around soon enough…..

The teacher will be of the opinion that reception age children are old enough to be told the truth about these things. Obviously being catholic they will believe that god, Jesus etc is also the truth.

I didn't think children thought unicorns, dragons etc were real, DS loves both but understands they're not real, just like ghosts and monsters. He's 4

Are you referring to the unicorns in the Bible again?
They’re not mythical.
The Bible does not refer to “unicorn” meaning the whiter horse with glowing mane and rainbow tail that you’re picturing!
It’s not presented in the Old Testament as being mythical. It’s just another factual reference to a real existing animal.
What isn’t known is exactly which animal. The Bible has been translated and mistranslated over and over again, and the animals we see have changed. (Dodo, anyone?)
There are one-horned animals - like the rhinoceros. There’s also some scholarly debate that the “one horned” animal is one that actually has two horns but in profile appears to have one, and is seen carved that way in some ancient work.
I’m an atheist, but find it all fascinating stuff!

Do I think you teacher should have said anything? No. Killjoy.
Do I think it matters? No.

I would find it just as magical to talk to my young child about this real animal in the Bible that we’ve now lost the exact knowledge of - a mystery is as fun as a myth, I think.

You don’t have to believe in fairies to enjoy the stories.

53, witch too

Have you not seen many different types of schools?
Our school has daily worship with hymns and the Lord's prayer at the end!

That sounds right to me - I can’t speak to how things are like now but went to 4 different primary schools in the 80/90s ie- 25-30 years ago and we learnt Christian songs/ hymns in every single one of them. And not just at Christmas time but assembly throughout the year. They were all non-denominational. What part of the UK are you in @DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy ?

We also learnt the Lord’s Prayer in at least one of those schools.

DS' secular primary just did Noah's ark, there also learned about floating and sinking, painted boat pictures and read a boat themed story book . They don't seem to sing hymns but they did sing Cauliflowers fluffy at harvest festival. I don't mind a bit of light religion at primary age. I went to a CofE primary and it was mainly tired to being good people, thinking of others, the fables etc.

I’d be more worried about the other views that they will be instilling into my child.

@Lilithlogic

High five and blessed be 😊

You sent your child to a religious school and now are upset that they teach from a religious perspective. You're being ridiculous. Find another school.

THIS.

OP's teacher is awful. Surely they could have done what you suggest, deflect the question, not tell them cold and point blank- They do not exist.

Thats awful.