What is a closed brethren school?

[bobbybob]

I have been offered a job (sort of) at a school near me. it is a closed Bethren (sp?) school.

Anyone know what this is?

Message withdrawn

Open brethren is more like a mainstream evangelical church. Closed brethren have very very conservative views. i imagine that if you were to accept the job they woudl not expect you to teach RE, but just respect their faith, much like if you are not Roman Catholic or Cof E or Jewish but took a job in a church school.

For example, they may wish you to wear a skirt or dress and not trousers to work ( assuming you are female!!!) or cover your head at assembly ( like in an Islamic school).

If there are any such religious requirements they shoudl be up front about them.

snailspace dont mean to contradict but brethren women dont all wear head scarfs.

brethren do not have a minister they have elders. to join in at the church you need to be "saved" (believe jesus died for your sins and rose from the grave and is now in heaven waiting to return 1 day) then you must be baptised. only men can take part in public praying. they have very strong beliefs like women shouldn't wear trousers make up etc. my grandparent even go to the extent of not having a tv.

in answer to ur question i would agree and say that the school would only be open to those of that faith

oh yeah women must wear a hat etc during meetings asembly etc

I have found out a little about it - it is mostly staffed by the local high school, so they are obviously okay about teachers from other faiths, but they don't want their kids to mix with non Bethren and have an education that involves computers or electronic keyboards.

As they don't believe in University (too worldly) I can imagine they would fine it impossible to satisfy the Ministry of Education unless they used non Brethren to teach.

Apparently they want someone who can take music classes - which at the moment are singing along to a piano accompaniment. But I suppose I could teach music theory and recorder as well as they would be sufficiently old.

I'd teach in a catholic school and I'm not catholic - so I guess this is the same.

Bobby - I think that the closed brethren dont use musical instrumenst in their services. But they are obviously Ok with intruments in class. Suspect there might be some restrictions on types of music acceptable or certain instrumenst not allowed eg they might be Ok with traditional music from around the world but nothing contemporary, Ok with non-electronic instruments. Assume they would have to meet the national curriculum though???

Again, I think should tell you what you can and cant do if you take the job. You dont want to start then find out you are really restricted and feel uncomfortable. OTOH it might be great - suspect the kids are well behaved and , as you know, music is a really fun subject (with the right teacher)

I am in NZ so they don't have to meet a national curriculum. Also it is private school so I don't have to be a qualified teacher - but I need temporary teacher registration (basically a police check and some relevant qualifications - which I do have).

The limitations would actually suit me - I was never one for music technology and haven't kept up with changes. A normal high school would terrify me!

A good old fashioned musical education I can do!

Sounds like this job might suit you then! Dont know what schools in NZ are like, but teachers here have to deal with a lot of discipline problems. Sounds like you woulndt have that problem anyway

I initially enquired about instrumental teaching - class teaching didn't really appeal because of the discipline, but I'm picking that wouldn't be a problem here.

Bobby - there is some info on the internet about the brethren - you probably need to search under plymouth brethren - they are the wider church from which the "closed and exclusive brethren" are a split. I found this:

"What should I do with the "PB" children I teach?

"Several times a year, I get an email from a teacher who has several children in his/her class who are from a "Plymouth Brethren" background. These children are not permitted to eat with other children, use computers, read some of the standard books in the curriculum, etc. The teachers are asking me for information about their religion and advice for what to do with the children.

"First of all, let me say that this is not descriptive of most "Plymouth Brethren" families, open, closed or exclusive. I suspect that the families involved are part of some "exclusive brethren" group, but I have no way of knowing which one. My advice is that you respect the religious beliefs of these families, and treat them as you would any group that believes in extreme separatism from the world (such as the Amish or the Old Order Mennonites). Any attempt to push them to be more "outward looking" is likely to meet with suspicion and resistance. If you seek to work with these families to find alternative curriculum and activities for the children, you will reduce the suspicion, and increase the chances that these children will be able to stay in school beyond the minimum required by law. "

Apparently they have a bible school in Aukland but seem to be bigger in Australia

Hope you job works out ok for you. Do let me know!

Message withdrawn

Mental note to self - always find out what the pay is before even making sensible enquiry of other mumsnetters. Ridiculously low, especially given the work needed to modify the curriculum.

Oh and apparently loads of behaviour problems - more than a normal school.

I am shocked!!! Not about the pay but that they have loads of behavioural probelems!! What - kids shooting up in the loos and fighting in class? Swearing at and assulting the teachers? Oh well....just goes to show.....

So its backto the drawing boards for you then, is it??

Not surprised they have problems. Poor kids.

Just apparently having no idea what consistitute normal "good behaviour". If they remember something they needed to tell another student, they just shout is across the room - that sort of thing. They are their own world and as a outsider you get ignored.