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Original poster

Prayer focus in schools

115 replies

annandale · 27/09/2017 21:43

I seem to be starting a lot of potentially goody threads at the moment but I am trying very hard not to be goady, while being aware that this issue makes me truculent.

I am FB friends with a woman who is part of a Hillsong church. She works as part of a team aiming to open prayer spaces in schools. She frequently posts things about being thankful to open new prayer spaces in schools. As far as I'm aware this hasn't happened at ds'so school and I don't want it to. I'd imagine the focus would be on primary schools though.

My hackles rise at any attempt to get an increased religious practice into British schools. But am I just prejudiced? Has this happened at a school you know, has it been positive?

OP posts:
speakout · 27/09/2017 21:56

It happened at my kids school.

Was very religious. Head was born again, most staff were recruited.
His influence spread to the whole school.

Totally disgusting.

Original poster
annandale · 27/09/2017 22:38

Is the prayer room still there?

OP posts:
speakout · 27/09/2017 22:49

It wasn't actually used.

Teachers were happy to lead prayer in the classroom or at assembly.

No escape.

BackforGood · 27/09/2017 23:00

Are you talking about a room, or space that pupils who want to pray, can use without being harrassed ?
Or are you talking about insisting all pupils pray together whether they believe of not?
As I think they are 2 completely different things. I can't see why the first would bother anyone, tbh.

thegreenheartofmanyroundabouts · 28/09/2017 09:24

I'm off to one of their events next month. The idea as far as I know is to have a space that children can choose to visit. No one is forced to go there.

Niminy · 28/09/2017 18:43

A friend of mine set up a prayer space in a school where a child had died. No one was made to pray, no one had to visit it. It was simply a display with activities that could help children and adults mark and begin to process what had happened. Lots of people visited it - children, staff, parents. Some of them may have prayed, some of them may have simply used it as a way to reflect. I don't really see what the problem is.

Fffion · 29/09/2017 18:59

Spiritual development is a duty for schools to provide.

Not all children have atheists parents and their development needs are also important.

Lessstressedhemum · 29/09/2017 22:12

Our schools have a prayer room/space. Schools have a duty to provide this so that pupils who wish to pray have somewhere to do so. No one is forced to use the space or to pray.

woodhill · 29/09/2017 22:15

why not as long as it's up,to the individual if they want to use it.

speakout · 30/09/2017 11:09

Why should the school provide a prayer room?

Would they make provision for someone who likes to do crosswords? Or practice their Tarot cards?

Kids have plenty time to pray outside school and they can pray as much as they like at home or in their churches.

Religion has no place in school.

Fffion · 30/09/2017 12:06

They have a duty to provide spiritual development of their students.

OutwiththeOutCrowd · 30/09/2017 13:46

I like the idea of having areas within schools where students – and maybe teachers – can go for some peace and quiet. To call such an area a prayer space seems a bit limiting. Perhaps it would be better just to use the terminology ‘quiet space’ so that those who wished to could pray but no one would feel the area wasn’t for them.

Fffion · 30/09/2017 14:19

I think a lot of schools are putting in "well-being" areas now.

Blossomdeary · 30/09/2017 14:26

I agree with OutwiththeOutCrowd

A local primary started the children on yoga and mindfulness to help them in their future in the modern competitive world and to cope with SATs. There were strong objections from a born-again couple - sickening.

And the local schools have holy Joes who come round to run "Open the Book" classes, even the non-aligned schools. Needless to say it is only one book they are opening.

Quite quite wrong.

Fffion · 30/09/2017 14:33

You have lost me completely, Blossom, although I do detect an undertone of disrespect.

I often wonder why people are so negative about a Christian presence in schools, especially when it is totally voluntary. I can only think that it is a good thing. I can't see any downsides at all. Are atheist children missing out or put at a disadvantage because their classmates have found something uplifting?

Heratnumber7 · 30/09/2017 14:36

Lots of work places have prayer rooms (ours is called the “multi-faith room”).

I don’t get why it’s a big deal.

thegreenheartofmanyroundabouts · 30/09/2017 14:58

The National Secular Society is against prayer spaces in schools. As I understand it they see the provision of a quiet place in schools where children and staff can choose to go if they want to as unwarranted evangelism by faith groups. I suspect it is part of their agenda to get religion out of the public sphere.

When a child died at the church school where I am the vicar I created a prayer space. It was very simple with a lighted candle in the centre of it. A number of children did use the space which was designed to be safe and calm and set apart from the busy world of the school. This death was probably the first that most had experienced and for some it brought up other griefs and losses.

I'm hoping the training session I'm going on in a few weeks will give me some more ideas so that I'm better prepared next time.

Niminy · 30/09/2017 14:59

IME a prayer space in schools is usually a display in a corridor/corner of the hall or classroom. Schools don't usually have enough space to give a whole room to be a prayer room! Here is a story about one such display around the time of the horrific events in Manchester and London. It's clear that it was really highly valued by the students and teachers at the school, and there is no sense in the account that anybody had to use it, or had to pray. I really do not see what is so bad about this.

I'm part of an Open the Book team which does assemblies, not classes, and the Code of Practice we have to work to are very clear. We are specifically told that we must show respect and sensitivity to those of other faiths and those with none. We must not draw any messages out of the story and must not make it a sermon. When we pray we have to use the words 'I am going to say a prayer and if you want to make it your prayer say 'Amen' at the end.' Anybody can offer to do assemblies if they get themselves DBS checked and work with the school, and they can do any kind of book providing the Head Teacher allows it. It is unreasonable to criticise Open the Book teams for not doing something they're not set up to do.

BertrandRussell · 30/09/2017 15:09

"I often wonder why people are so negative about a Christian presence in schools, especially when it is totally voluntary. I can only think that it is a good thing. I can't see any downsides at all. Are atheist children missing out or put at a disadvantage because their classmates have found something uplifting?"

Yes. Non Christian children would be missing out on something uplifting. The uplifting is not exclusively Christian. Children are at school for 6 hours. Their parents have another 18 to pray with them and instruct them in their particular faith. School should be inclusive. A sense of transcendence can be non faith based.

Niminy · 30/09/2017 15:09

Just had a look at the NSS web site. Fascinatingly paranoid!

Niminy · 30/09/2017 15:11

AFAIK, Bertrand, there is nothing stopping atheist groups getting together and offering uplifting assemblies/quiet spaces.

BertrandRussell · 30/09/2017 15:13

Well, apart from the fact that there is no such thing as an atheist group......

Love to see what would happen if a Muslim group tried it.

speakout · 30/09/2017 15:16

Fffion
They have a duty to provide spiritual development of their students.

No they don't .

They have a duty to "lead active worship..... of a broadly Christian nature".

Nothing about spiritual development there.

Religion should be kept out of schools.

Niminy · 30/09/2017 15:17

surely Humanists UK = atheist group, no?

speakout · 30/09/2017 15:18

Not all atheists are humanist.