To be uncomfortable with church people giving out psalms in assembly

[Masmavi]

We moved back from abroad last year. This is the first time my son has lived in the UK. He's in Year 7 at a state school, not church-affiliated.
Yesterday he came back from school with a book of psalms. A religious group/church had attended assembly, given a talk and afterwards given out the books.
AIBU to think this is inappropriate? The school has children of different faiths and this feels like proselytising. Is this considered normal in schools here? I'm not talking about church schools.

Faith groups doing presentations in assemblies at secular secondary schools in England has been a thing for decades, yes. When I was a teacher it was usually the Gideons, who gave out New Testaments.

Well I can't really see anything wrong with some people who've come to give a talk giving these out to be honest

Yes, normal. Most schools will look at all faiths and probably be given hand outs or make cards or watch plays about other religions too. This month psalms, next month Chinese new year...

Yes we had the Gideons too at high school. I remember one boy eating pages of his free Bible. That's a weird memory that's suddenly resurfaced.

I can't see a problem. As the other poster said I remember getting a Gideon bible at school. I've been to a mosque and been given a quran.

Yes at my school (regular bog standard comp) 1st years - as we were called then - got given little bibles by the Gideons. I got mine in 1986 and my sister 3 years before.
So not a new thing.
At primary school we got given free toothbrushes and toothpaste from Colgate - under the concept of "learning how to brush our teeth".
My friend at a different secondary got free Tampax samples when someone came to do "The Talk".
It's just advertising really.

OP, are you aware that it's still the law in English schools that there must be a daily act of collective worship?

I don't think YABU.

I went to a CofE school, and I was a Jehovah's Witness at the time. I was excused from assembly.

Can you ask that your child is excused from assembly if there are religious meetings?

I'm now agnostic for the record.

Ah no, I wasn't. I've just looked it up. That provides a bit of context, thank you.

Any parents can ask for their child to be withdrawn from the collective act of worship.

My kid has spent all week telling me about Sikhism. She’s been drawing Gods and telling me the names. Talking about the objects that Sikhs carry. She was telling me how they choose baby names.

and this is all ok for me.
Despite being Christian.

I could, but he'd be very embarrassed. I found it unsettling as we've come from living in a country where religion is not supposed to be a part of school life at all. But, I see from responses it's standard here (even something that schools have to do, according to a law someone pointed out) so I won't raise it with the school. I look forward to representatives of other religions being invited and adding their tracts to his collection though!

Yes, I'm talking 32 years ago now when I was in primary. I actually thought that non religious schools would be totally secular now. Whilst I was allowed to leave assembly in my school, I still had to go to RE classes, and I'm glad that I did have to attend them.

The National Secular Society campaigns against the promotion of religion in UK schools. They have some good information about the current state of the law.

Unbelievable; I hope you took it off him IMMEDIATELY!!!

Do you think it has affected him?

Your child will be presented with all-sorts of opposing opinions and faiths during his youth. This is a very good opportunity to teach him to say 'No thank you' firmly, and refuse the handout because it is a needless waste of paper or simply to put it straight in the bin if that is what he wants.

Use the occasion to show him how to think for himself and make independent choices.

Please don't be that parent

OP, are you aware that it's still the law in English schools that there must be a daily act of collective worship?

Yes its a horrendous outdated and disrespectful requirement that should be removed and is only maintained because the church of england push hard for it.

There should be no place for religious proselytising/evangelism in schools. Religion (multifaith) should be taught as part of the curriculum, by classroom teachers and not religious leaders etc in a neutral fact based way, e.g.
"Christian believe jesus died for their sins" not "jesus died for your sins".

Totally normal and actually nice. Can learn a lot of things in the psalms.

It’s fine. Talking about your faith when invited then offering literature then going away is not coeertion. No doubt other faith groups will be doing the same over the year.

Don’t worry it’s just about learning. I learned about the Vikings and I didn’t become one.

Please ask your child before doing this.

I hated it. It made me feel like the odd one out. I was perfectly capable of understanding that we weren’t Christians but wanted to not be the only kid sitting out.

There is great literary merit in some of the psalms. Your son might enjoy reading them.

The psalms are beautiful, think of them as ancient poetry if you're not religious.

We are constantly being bombarded with unwanted ads that want our belief and our money. I suppose it's a good teaching moment...

Also, I'm not against teaching stories and values, that religion is good for. In fact, I think society is reeling from a vacuum that religion has left. We can still learn a great deal from them, even atheists like me.