Superstitious crap-peddling in non-church school, how to deal with it?

[SpringchickenGoldBrass]

DS (6, in Year 1) came home from school today talking about what he's going to give up for Lent. I asked him if he understood why he was supposed to be giving up things for Lent (of course he had no idea) and made sure he knew that he didn't have to and I would be doing no such thing, and we had a little talk about superstitions.
I am seriously pissed off with this and want to speak to the school about it. We live in a very multicultural area and I want to know A) if all the 6 year old Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jews and whatever else are trotting home stuffed with this crap and if not, how can I get DS exempt from it? Just because we are English does not mean we are CofE, I am a hardline atheist and DS dad and I have been raising him with as little superstition as possible.
I do not think it's appropriate for a group of culturally-mixed 6 year olds to be fed this sort of bullshit (which is going to be beyond most of them anyway) - I have no problem with DC being taught about the various mythology brands but the actual practicing of this nonsense should not be suggested to them at school.

baffled

But it sounds like he came home baffled anyway.

Therefore it is a good subject for discussion.

Fasting and being 'tempted by the devil' aren't everyone's ideal topic of teatime conversation with a 6 year old.

Thanks for the link mrz; I was raised in CoS, taught Sunday School in CoS, and joined the CoS, and never once was I expected to give anything up for Lent. I'd never heard of the concept till I was well into my teens, I think.

I agree, exoticfruits.
I consider myself a raving atheist, but I kind of Dig Lent. The idea of putting something ahead of your own carnal interests, the merits of sacrifice and self-discipline. There's a lot of good stuff in there (some of the best ideas of Christianity).

I'm fairly hardline against religion in schools, but I'd find it hard to get it worked up about in this case - to my mind "giving stuff up for lent" is classed in with general spring cultural superstitions/practices like pancakes and the Easter bunny, and I'd have no problem with the DCs deciding to do something like that on the basis of general sheep-like behaviour (but then DS has mild ASD so I tend to see mindless conformity as a good thing - you always want what you can't have).

I'd be pissed off that a vicar couldn't give a clear explanation that (some) Christians do X for Y reason though.

As I said earlier, its a reasonable idea if its done thoughtfully ... but giving a 6 year old the idea he's supposed to give something up for no comprehensible reason falls way short of that.

Don't all our children come home spouting stuff that's debatable and/or nonsense? OP, I'd stay calm. Kids of 6 don't like parents contradicting teachers. Kids of 6 also move on and forget most of what they are told. My DS came home (aged 7) and told me he was going to take Louise (aged 6) to the cinema and "shag her rotten". He'd heard the expression on a bus and it took his fancy! He had no clue what it meant. I think he was going to buy her some Maltesers as part of his masterplan.

I'm not sure about national religious requirements. My ds goes to a very mixed school. We live in the most mixed borough in the UK. He never has assembly. They did nativity at Christmas, they also follow all the other main festivals (Eid, Guru Nanak etc), but it's very rare eg. nothing like twice a week. So either they don't hit the national requirement or it's down to the LEA to make decisions, and they have decided to do it differently in our borough.

I agree OldLady. Christened and brought up in the CofS and 'giving something up' for Lent was never discussed at home or Sunday School/church.

I was always led to believe it was more of an English/RC custom.

The pdf that mrz linked to says:

Season of Lent
Lent is the 40 day period before Easter beginning with Ash Wednesday. There are six sundays in Lent.
The meaning of Lent
During Lent Christians may fast, or give up some of their usual routine, to give time to personal examination and to reflect on their relationship with God. The season of Lent reminds us of the 40 days Jesus spent fasting and praying in the desert (Luke 4:1 to 4:15) and the 40 days Moses spent on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:12 to 24:18).
The origins of Lent
Originally Lent varied in length but from the fourth century onwards 40 days became standard. It is often associated with the a period of fasting and self examination required of candidates for baptism. To this day Easter is still a traditional time for baptism.

this is the one I used with my class for our "On this day" book

The forty days (not counting Sundays) before Easter is known as Lent. The 40 days mark the 40 years of the Israelites going through the desert and the traditional
40 days of Jesus fasting in the desert.During Lent, Christians used to fast (give up food) but now a days some people try to give up their favourite food, such as chocolate, and not giving into temptation.

So, why do some Christian denominations fast/give something up for Lent, and others don't?

The school site I linked to says
The Orthodox Church keeps Lent more strictly and people give up both meat and dairy products.

I have to say I don't know many People (who claim to be Christians) who actually fast or give up something for Lent. A friend at school always gives up chocolate...

In Scotland, I wonder if it's down to the local Presbytry? Like JoBettany I always thought of the "giving something up" as RC or Anglican, maybe because I first heard of it when I acquired some RC friends in secondary school.

SGB - I'd try not to get to riled about it. You have to pick your battles and there will be plenty more religion-in-school to contend with. If you are basically happy with the school it may not be worth getting their back up.

I do tend to count lent along with pancake day, Easter, mothers day, Halloween and Xmas as basically secularised traditional festivals that you can enjoy without taking on board the supersticious side. That said, lent is a bit crap, and an entry level eating disorder practice, so it's not one I would encourage.

If I were though I'd find out a bit more about religion at your school. Community schools have to do RE and worship of a 'broadly Christian character'. Some take this more seriously than others. Ask to read their policy on daily worship.

The RE syllabus is set by the LEA. You should be able to download it and the scheme of work so you can see what he's learning week by week and make sense of what he comes home with.

But I would play it softly with the school itself. Maybe ask if you can sit in the next time the vicar comes. Then if he is sloppy in his presentation of truth and belief you can take it up with him.

There's far too much religion in school

Its great to hear a school promoting christianity. Whether you believe in it or not. So many schools promote all other religions but forget about christianity.

There are lots of ways your child can be involved in the school activity without feeling you are having religion rammed down his throat.

Its great to hear a school promoting christianity. Whether you believe in it or not. So many schools promote all other religions but forget about christianity.

If you don't believe it, its not great. And its simply not true that 'So many schools promote all other religions but forget about christianity.'

Apart from the disproportionately large number of CofE and RC schools, non-faith schools primaries still to some extent mostly follow the law that says they have do do 'broadly christian' collective worship. The RE syllabus covers a variety of religions but christianity certainly isn't forgotten.

(my ability to write coherently seems to have gone for the night...hope that vaguely made sense...)

Yes dont worry it made sense

My kids have never been taught anything about christianity at school but could tell me all about many other religions. I found this as equally offensive.

What I found equally offensive was that children of other religions could opt out, but the none Hindus, Muslims and Sikh children were not allowed to (which I think is what you are saying)

It's not a school's place to "promote" Christianity as real any more than the Greek or Egyptian gods. There is no evidence for this stuff - any of it. It should all be studied, certainly, but as a belief system, a cultural phenomenon and not as "real".

I have no problem with talking tradition to DS either: we celebrate New Year, we had pancakes yesterday, we keep St Georges Day, May Day (anyone else fighting the good fight for that one?) solstices, Halloween and Midwinter/Yule/Xmas/Saturnalia.
I think I am a bit wary of this specific sodding vicar, actually. From what I've heard (which may be garbled by DS of course) I think he's a bit keen - I remember being mildly appalled that the school's brochure spoke of 'bringing children to an awareness of a caring god' which I do not think is part of the school's job any more than I think it's up to the school to encourage them to put their teeth out for the tooth fairy - and given the amount of nasty toxic crap associated with all supersitions I am keeping a watchful eye out in case he starts peddling any of that to the DC in which case I will be going after his sorry arse.

I find it offensive that children should be subjected to any religion presented as truth. The sky fairy zealots of whatever persuasion do most of their recruiting amongst the young. They should all be locked up for child abuse.