Religion in schools

[scorpiogirly]

Just wanted to get some thoughts on this.

My daughter's school has been heavily celebrating Eid and Ramadan. They're having an Eid party tomorrow.

She has been coming home the last few weeks talking a about it and saying that sometimes the Muslim children pray and get to go ahead of the other kids.

Last night she came home saying how she believed in Allah etc.

She's 6.

I have no trouble with her learning about different cultures and religions, but I feel this is going to far now to the point that this is being pushed on them.

I'm thinking of contacting the school to ask what they have been teaching them.

She’s very young. Your influence is much greater than the schools. Why don’t you just talk about it with her?

At that age DS came home talking about Jesus and God as fact. It’s not a church school and RE is taught as ‘this is what Christians/Muslims think’, rather than truth. So I just had a chat about how some people believe in Jesus and God, that me and DH aren’t really sure, but it’s up to him what he thinks. Never been an issue and both my DC think for themselves.

Young Muslim children may have been having lunch early during Ramadan so they have time to pray afterwards.

If course speak to the school about what they have been teaching and I’m sure they they will happily tell you but it doesn’t like they’ve been pushing Islam on to the children. I remember my eldest decided she was Hindu at this age and my nearly 6 year old spends alot of time claiming to be a guniea pig.

Don’t worry, they will be celebrating Easter very soon

On one hand, I think it’s lovely that the school embraces a different religion and educates our children about it. On the other, it’s important as parents that we allow our children to have access to the choice regarding what they are taught in this aspect. With the Muslim population growing it’s inevitable that it will influence schools and that’s important for the Muslim community to feel accepted and understood. But I also hope that they are taught about other faiths and cultures alongside that. You can discuss these things with your child and let her know your beliefs. You can tell her that you think it’s interesting that she’s talking about Allah and feels a connection to god, but that your family believes something different. It’s a very personal subject and I hope that you find a way to communicate to her how you feel about it in a way that conveys meaning.

I think religion is private and shouldn't be taught in schools.

Do they also celebrate Christmas and Easter? Or Diwali?

It’s nice that they celebrate all the festivals that are important to families in their school.

She’s seen and heard her peers doing and talking about things which are a bit exotic and mysterious and exciting. At 6, special prayers, and celebrations which you get to take part in if you believe in Allah are pretty enticing. That doesn’t mean she believes in Allah or is being “taught religion” or that it’s being pushed on the class: they’re going to be learning about what Muslims believe in and what they do for their holy days - and those current holy days involve presents and new clothes and sweets and big family parties, as far as young children are concerned.

My dc were pretty keen on Hinduism at that age because it was colourful, the sweets were tasty and they loved Diwali fireworks. Monkey and elephant gods definitely beat men with long beards aged 6! They are both practicing Christians as adults as am I

Thank you all.

I don't know how I feel really. Yes they should learn about others but I feel this is too much.

She's never come home talking about Jewish celebrations, Hindus etc.

Teaching children about various religions is a good thing, but it sounds like they’ve strayed into teaching kids to be religious, which isn’t.

Nothing for Christmas and Easter ?

As a Governor I know what the RE Curriculum is, all major religions are taught, including festivals. You child will also learn about Diwali .. and will probably make a lamp.

This what is concerning me. We talk about a lot. She got obsessed with dying at one point and ghosts and heaven. She asked if ghosts were real. I told her some people believe in them. She went to school and said that and the teacher told her point blank they don't exist. Okay fair enough, but then don't teach about Allah like it's a fact.

They will learn about Judaism and Hinduism, but unless the school has a significant number of Jewish and Hindu pupils, it’s going to have less “real life” transfer through her peers talking about their beliefs and sharing their celebrations in the way her Muslim classmates are doing. That’s the bit that’s piquing her interest and making her think believing in Allah sounds nice - not what the teachers are saying.

In fairness, there aren't many muslim children there either.

When people complain about Christianity in schools, they are told don’t worry, your child will be able to see it’s not real and not very interesting, if they don’t have it backed up at home.
so, that.

Which is precisely why I didn't send her to a Christian or Catholic school.

As long as all religions are presented equally, I have no issue with religion in school. I’d also ideally like the phrase “some people believe” heavily involved in the teachings. We had a VERY religious head at my DDs (non faith) primary and they had the local vicar come in at least twice a month for prayer and stories. There was no balance and I withdrew mine from any religious assemblies as we aren’t religious at all and I didn’t want mine exposed to it if it couldn’t be presented objectively. They also had the local church group run a lunchtime club which gave prizes for regular attendance 😖

I would have no issue with an Eid party, an Easter egg hunt or a Diwali celebration, as long as all religions are getting equal ‘airtime’

My sentiments exactly. When she's coming home saying Allah is God and she believes in Allah is where I'm getting concerned.

Definitely worth a chat with the school to find out what’s going on then. I was chair of the PTA at the time so was frequently in the school which is how I knew about it all, otherwise I’m not sure I would have known

Yeah, what's going on that you don't know about. This particular school was taken to court over an unrelated matter but that's another story.

You’re taking the word of a 6 year old. Do
you really think Muslim kids would allowed to go ahead of everyone else? What does that even mean?

Talk to the school and stop spreading misinformation when you don’t know the facts.

So tell her you think it’s a load of old cobblers then. 🤷‍♀️ I think you’re catastrophising.

We didn’t choose a faith school, but the amount of access Churches have to non denominational schools in our area is ludicrous. Lunch time “craft’ groups, where everything is about god and Jesus, with sweets and biscuits thrown in so the kids love it. Weekly “storytime” sessions from the local minister etc. Even their residential trip was to a Christian run outdoors centre where they all had to say a prayer before meals. Crazy stuff. I wonder how it would go down if the local Imam wanted to do the same. Kids going to a “Muslim camp” 🤨

We just provided the balance at home and our daughter soon got the gist of it all.

They will not be teaching your child to follow a certain religion. I teach in a C of E school and we dont teach children that they should follow Christianity. As for "Allah is God", she has probably just been taught that Allah is the Arabic word for God. At 6 what she believes personally will change regularly.

Children need to be taught about all religions. And as long as Easter will be celebrated as much, then that’s ok. Although any children of mine will be going to Catholic schools.