Why is religion forced on all children at school?

[Kateyoz]

We are not religious and so chose a state school not a faith school for our boys but they come home every day singing hymns they are taught in assembly - the school said we can withdraw them from assemblies but why should they be made to miss out? Shouldn't state schools teach all beliefs and not focus on one, or leave religion to the parents and keep it out of school? Feel like mine are being indoctrinated into a religion against our will

[BertrandRussell]

So that's another thing to add to the list. "What they do in school isn't proper Christianity......."

[JustRichmal]

it isn't about being good so you can get to heaven.
Then how do you explain John, 14:6
"no one comes to the Father, but through me"

[niminypiminy]

And where in that passage does it say that you need to be good to get to heaven?

[JustRichmal]

Yes, OK, it just implies you have to believe in Jesus to get to Heaven.

[niminypiminy]

There are quite a wide range of different interpretations of that passage, and not everyone thinks that it means you have to believe in Jesus to get to heaven. It could just as well mean that Jesus is the way anyone gets to heaven, whether they believe in him or not.

Whatever, it definitely doesn't mean that you have to be good to get to heaven. That's absolutely not what Christians believe.

[JasperDamerel]

So if Christianity is about an individual relationship with God and there is no requirement to do anything, then having a daily act of worship of a broadly Christian nature is utterly meaningless and should be scrapped?

[GoblinLittleOwl]

Oh, not another one.
So unoriginal.

[Fresta]

For those of you who believe schools should be secular and withdraw your child from assembly, do you also not participate in Christian festivals such as Easter o rChristmas? Is your child not allowed to do the school nativity play, send cards or give presents? Do you not allow them to join in Divali, or Eid celebrations either with their friends?

How can a child decide if they are religious if they are allowed no experience of it?

School assemblies should encourage spirituality. As Christianity is the most prevalent form of religion in this country it is the one chosen for them at the current time. I work in a CofE school, and although we have a multi-faith intake, not a single child opts out of assembly. They seem to accept the fact that we have different beliefs, but ultimately broadly similar moral values across the different religions. Even if a child is atheist they can learn something positive from Christianity. It is about allowing children to join in and celebrate their lives, feel thankful for what they have, and appreciate the world they live in. Not about forcing them to believe in God. We also celebrate festivals with the Muslim and Hindu children. This is education, experiencing religion, raising awareness, not indoctrination.

[OlennasWimple]

If we were starting from scratch now with state education provision, I doubt very much that we would have the existing requirements for all schools to hold a daily act of collective worship of a broadly Christian nature*. But we are where we are, and - sadly - I can't see any change in that position for many years to come.


*unless they hold a valid determination for the worship to follow a different religion

[niminypiminy]

I didn't say there was no requirement to do anything if you are a Christian. Perhaps that was another poster.

Worship of God is central to being a Christian, following Christ is central to being a Christian. If you want to teach anybody about Christianity then teaching them how to pray and worship is a pretty good way to go about it. Christianity is much more about what you do than signing up to various statements about what you believe.

[Evergreen17]

OP you are most definitely being ridiculous.
I was raised in Catholic school.
I want my children to go a school where they might learn about other religions as they learn about history but I dont think they should be singing any hymns during assembly.
For those that say that they are a tradition well... That is the argument of the ignorant to be honest. Just because something has been done for a long time it doesnt mean it is right.
People can send their kids so faith school if they so wish, so atheist should have a choice too.
To answer to "All kids will make up their mind about religion in their own time, don't worry." sure! I spent 14 years on Catholic school so I was brainwashed pretty much until I was an adult. If O could go back I wish they hadnt imposed that on me

[Evergreen17]

Fresta I hope my child doesnt beed to try drugs to know he doesnt want them.
What a thing to say. I dont know any child that experiences all religions equally before he choses one. Usually imposed by family or school. So nope thanks

[Evergreen17]

WAIT! I meant OP you are most definitely NOT being ridiculous!

[Fresta]

So evergreen, is it ok to impose atheism on your children then?

[JustRichmal]

I don't think you should impose anything on them. I would have been very happy not to discuss religion until my child was older and able to have form an opinion. It was school that forced the issue.
She was just old enough to distinguish between the teacher telling her things as fact and the teacher telling her things as being what people believed, but only if told by the teacher it was what people thought, but did not know for sure. I would say to try asking your school if they would also do this.

[Scorbus]

In my school the only assemblies of a religious nature are the ones I do (RE coordinator) and they cover a major festival for all the main world religions. We don't sing in assembly either, it's not needed.

I believe in good quality Religious education in schools but beyond that I prefer the way our school does things.

[Eolian]

So Evergreen, is it ok to impose atheism on your children then?

Bringing up a child without religion is not 'imposing' anything on them. It is a lack of imposing anything on them. I don't teach my children atheist dogma, because there is none. I do not drag my child to a building where other atheists gather and make them sing songs about there not being a god. In fact I don't even encourage my children not to be religious. There's no need. Unless your child has been told there's a god, why on earth would an atheist need to impose anything on them. The same way I don't need to impose on my children a disbelief in the Loch Ness monster.

[WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid]

In my school the only assemblies of a religious nature are the ones I do (RE coordinator) and they cover a major festival for all the main world religions. We don't sing in assembly either, it's not needed

That sounds good. Education, not worship.

[originalmavis]

You would not believe the amount of wringing of hands when our school put 'hymns' in the calendar. It was actually a singing lesson where they sang all sorts, but this was just shorthand for that. So many 'offended' people getting their knickers in a bunch.

I do not care. I sometimes enjoy ds coming out with a tune I recognise from my school days. They learn about many religions at school and that's a good thing too. I love harvest festival and the excitement of the little children in school in the run upto Christmas, although even the Carol service was put at a time last year so's not to get the professionally offended's knickers wedged. Funny, when the guy who owns the school turns up to the services on his own volition (he isn't someone who comes to every event and I see him about once a year at prize giving) and is Muslim himself.

There are too many 'faith' schools who take the full faith or nothing route and nobody seems to dare pull them up for pushing racist, sexist, homophobic, anti-Semitic crap down their kids throats.

DS came up with his own interesting theory of God (or not), life, the universe and everything when he was quite little.

[mrz]

SpringSpringSpring don't confuse church attendance with religion

In the 2011 Census, Christianity was the largest religion, with 33.2 million people (59.3 per cent of the population). The second largest religious group were Muslims with 2.7 million people (4.8 per cent of the population)

[mrz]

SpringSpringSpring don't confuse church attendance with religion

In the 2011 Census, Christianity was the largest religion, with 33.2 million people (59.3 per cent of the population). The second largest religious group were Muslims with 2.7 million people (4.8 per cent of the population)

[JasperDamerel]

I have to admit that I quite like the idea of the UK equivalent of the Temple of Satan coming in to schools to start the day by inviting the children to invoke Satan, reject superstition and commit themselves to actions based on reason and evidence. Maybe they could even sponsor a chain of academies!

[originalmavis]

But surely if they are Satanists they can't reject superstition as they are superstition? Or is that part of their perverse nature?

[Ta1kinpeece]

The UK's compulsory religion system is the most effective in the world for creating atheists.

The USA bans all religion from schools - its not stopped the religious nut jobs.

France bans all religion from schools - the issues of lack of understanding between faiths have come back to bite them.

I pulled my kids out of RE from year 10 but as an atheist I totally support it being compulsory until at least year 8

The increasing number of ghetto like faith schools is a much greater worry

[thegreenheartofmanyroundabouts]

When I did my training for leading assemblies in school the advice was that if the school wanted us to lead prayers (and not all do) then we write down what we are planning to say so that if anyone objects then we know what was actually said. My practice is to say that I am going to pray and that if you want to make the prayer your own you can say amen at the end.

As the local vicar I go into the two primary schools in my parish. I go into the church school weekly and into a non church school once a term. The non church school want me to do assemblies based on values and I would not dream of praying with the children as it is not part of my brief.

I'm sure some parents would object to the once a term visit but whilst I'm invited in I will continue to go.