To have not realised prayers in school was still a thing?

[UnreadyEthel]

DS1 (5) started school in September. One of the reasons I chose the school was that it had no obvious religious affiliation, while another good school in the area is a Christian school. We are secular.

This morning DS1 mentioned over breakfast that they say prayers at school before they eat lunch. I was absolutely gobsmacked. It’s not something I’ve ever come across in non-religious schools (and I have worked in plenty, mainly in cities). DH, who is from the rural area we now live in, was less surprised. ‘I had to do it all the way through school and it never harmed me’. I have sent a polite email to the headteacher asking for clarification of their policies.

DS2 (3) attends the very small nursery next to the school. I asked at pickup today whether they say prayers there and the nursery teacher said ‘yes, of course’. When I asked if DS2 could opt out please she said they’d never come across the situation before, and whether I wanted her to tell him off if he joined in out of habit! I wonder whether they haven’t come across another child who wanted to opt out before because other parents aren’t aware it’s going on? And because they obviously haven’t read the forms I filled in when he enrolled. I also asked what they would do if there was a child of a different religion, but she didn’t know.

AIBU to think this is an outdated practice? Or should I just accept it’s something that comes with raising children in a more rural area of the UK?

I am a Christian but I still feel uncomfy about the position of faith in schools (although with prayer I don’t have too much issue as long as sitting quietly is accepted) and purposely didn’t pick a Faith school for DS (I am lucky I had a choice). As it happens from a young age he has decided he is atheist which I have respected (I actually stopped going to Church myself so he didn’t have to come)

The only thing I have insisted on is respect towards the beliefs of others (unless extremist obviously)

What a very strange thing to say. Particularly by someone who appears to be masking a touch of Islamophobia by refusing to address her own post!✉️

Street map canterbury

Sorry for “street map Canterbury”. Not sure where that came from!

Well that's a far reach if ever I saw one. I'd love to know how you managed to shoehorn in Islamaphobia. Care to highlight a post of mine that lazily lends weight to your assertion?

I completely agree.
There is no need for daily worship outside faith schools.
A few schools around my way had a policy that if you asked for your child to be exempted from this, then the child would also be exempted, by default, from any celebrations tied to the Christian calendar, as well as the Christmas (secular) play. I thiught this a really unfair approach.
I'm happy for schools to cover religious education where they look at different faiths, but the daily worship (a DfE directive) is archaic.

@shuggles My life is far from uneventful. My children are important to me, and I would rather religious practices weren’t forced upon them in school. Now that I know it’s happening I have been able to opt them out. I only posted here to gain a better understanding of whether this situation is commonplace. Lots of PPs have been very helpful. I have not acted in the slightest bit aggressively.

So how have you 'opted them out'? You mean you're going to home school them? Great. Problem solved.

Ah, here we go again. So you're happy for your child to be involved in diversity, except when it comes to Christianity. As for the hyperbolic word "worship". 😂

one is real and the other is a mystery

I asked the school staff if DC1 could be opted out of prayers and they said ‘yes, no problem’.

The nursery staff agreed that DC2 would be allowed to sit quietly while the prayers happened and they would not force him to join in.

I expect the OP has informed the school that her children won't be taking part in the prayers.
This may mean they sit quietly while they are happening or if it's a longer assembly they might sit outside.
Which is exactly what parents who don't want their children to take part have been doing for DECADES.
It really isn't a big deal as 100s (or even 1000s) of children will be doing that every day all over the country.

It’s a diverse world. Not everyone knows the hymns because not everyone practices every religion for every friend that dies.

the Bible can be taught as a piece of literature just like other historical novels and myths. We are common themes running through much of art and literature. One doesn’t need to be given a special place.

@UnreadyEthel we kind of crossed posted !
It really is normal for parents to opt their children out.
Don't give it another thought.

If only the 'opt out' strategy was available when parents didn't want their children embracing other religious festivals. You have to love how cultural diversity moves.

Delighted to. Your post of 11.17 pertains. “Now try suggesting other religions alter their practise. Tell us how that goes.”

Grateful if you would post an example of my hatred of Christianity in return.

Right, so you assumed I was referring to Islam? I guess then you're minimising the religious spectrum. You still havent provided specifics about Islamaphobia. As for your second point, come on, you're over every thread about Christianity!

@UnreadyEthel My children are important to me, and I would rather religious practices weren’t forced upon them in school.

I don't think prayers are going to have much impact on the health or wellbeing of your children.

Have you thought about pouring your energy into doing something about the things which could actually harm your children? What about engine idling, which is both very common and very harmful? What about getting SUVs off the roads? What about people using open fires and stoves to heat their homes? Much bigger priorities than prayers.

DT’s were lucky - they went to an international school so although in the UK, no requirement for any religious worshipping. The lucky part was having friends from around the world, many with different religions faiths and cultures. All religions were celebrated equally with special days acknowledged and respected. Christianity didn’t receive any greater recognition than Islam, Sikhism, Judaism etc. Religions education was not on the syllabus

😀😂😅

In an international school? Now there's a surprise that Christianity didn't hold much weight 🙄

It’s been a thing since the 1944 Education Act, and changed in 1988 to say it had to be ‘broadly Christian in nature’. Lots of schools still fulfil this requirement by doing a prayer somewhere in the school day with just the class, to save having to have a daily whole school assembly.

Suited us as we didn’t want religion taught to them at school and why should UK schools focus on Christianity when so many children are of different faiths.

Maybe because the school still held its roots in Christianity. Good job the religion advocates sacrifice, redemption, belief and hope. What awful values to hold.

I disagree.

You have absolutely no idea what else I put my energy into. I don’t have an SUV or an open fire 😂