DD started at CofE primary, where they are teaching Noah’s Ark as fact

[user1493116493]

DD started reception at CofE primary, where have found they are teaching Noah’s Ark as fact, surely not normal?

There was no indication Christianity would be taught this way, although head teacher changed for this term so could be their new influence?

I am an atheist, although I went to a CofE primary where the local Vicar taught a lesson each week, and it wasn’t the case there. I was always taught that bible stories were parables, not fact. None of my church going Christian friends believe in Noah’s ark (or admit to it perhaps).

Am I stupid to be surprised by the teaching at this school?

Choice of schools locally very poor, Ofsted 3-4, although the school we went for is a 2. If non-faith schools had been comparable we of course wouldn’t have picked this one.

I am presuming the school is in the UK. I've not heard of Noah's Ark being taught in school as literal fact. Even when I was at school we knew it was a story with a moral to it, conveying truth - a charming one too, for the most part. Young kids tend not to think of those left outside the ark when the flood happens, they like drawing the animals.

Wondering if your daughter has misinterpreted what she has been taught, user. You could have a word with the teacher and find out.

But have you ever told a 5 year old child that Santa isn't real? Taken then to visit Father Christmas?

Have only ever said that some people believe the story is real. Just as I do with anything to do with religion.

Have you ever left your child money from the tooth fairy?

No. She decided, age 4, that it was a ridiculous thing to believe and clearly just a story. She’s respectful to those that do believe though.

Don’t be ridiculous OP. The kids are learning about the Noah’s Ark story probably as part of a topic. All reception age kids believe everything is real, it’s an age thing. Get over it!

All reception age kids believe everything is real, it’s an age thing. Get over it!

Bollocks they do.

sinceyouaskme is spot on. Likely they just told the story without explicitly saying ‘this is just a story’ at the beginnning.

I can’t get upset about this and I am an atheist.

have found they are teaching Noah’s Ark as fact

How did you find this out?

You need to have a word with the teacher to find out what’s happening. There are schools that teach bible literalism, but they are not supposed to, and 4 year olds are not good witnesses.

I teach reception in a C of E school.
I am an atheist.
Every time I read a bible story I start it with ‘Christians believe...’ or ‘the bible is a book that is very important to Christians.’
I never teach it as ‘fact’.

When I read Little Red Riding Hood I don’t tell them it’s a story, but they understand that.

How do you know it’s being taught as fact?

More people are allocated C of E controlled schools because they tend to function as community schools. Some Aided schools can be very choosy, but obviously not all.

However, I would ask to see the agreed RE syllabus. You can usually find it on the web site of the LA. However I would not necessarily believe what a YR child says. She probably enjoyed the story! It will soon be forgotten!

Children end up being capable of making their own judgements about religion despite the school they go to! Families play a much bigger role than RE at school so just refer to this as “Bible Stories” then it’s clearly a story and not truth. If you get upset in YR you might end up very frazzled by Y6 and it’s not worth it. You can counter everything if you wish and you hold the most power!

More people are allocated C of E controlled schools because they tend to function as community schools. Some Aided schools can be very choosy, but obviously not all”

All faith schools operate catchment based admissions unless the school is oversubscribed. In that case, various faith criteria come into play. Once all applicants meeting the faith criterion are admitted places are given on a catchment basis. Obviously the usual sibling/SEN/looked after children rules apply.

All four of mine went to local C of E state primary and learnt bible stories when they were small. They learned a lot about other religions later on in years 5 and 6. All four of them absolutely love RE and three of them have done RS A level which is really Philosophy and Ethics, two are atheists, one is unsure, one is too young to have made up her mind. Two of them have done or are doing Philosophy and Anthropology degrees. It can be really interesting.

FWIW dh is an atheist and they have grown up with him mocking absolutely every religious lesson they've ever had!

Absolutely no problem with Bible stories. Or any other traditional stories from our culture and others. BIG problem with bible stories being given different “weight” than other myths and legends.

Well, that's what dh has always said, they may as well teach Sleeping Beauty as fact etc etc

But sometimes being open minded about the bible means you are also open minded about other cultures too

What do you mean about “open minded”? You’re surely not suggesting that we should entertain the idea that the story of Noah’s Ark is history?

No, that's not what I meant.

I meant learning for learning's sake, finding the history behind it interesting, finding the concepts interesting, wondering where it came from, learning why and how ancient peoples needed to explain natural phenomena, comparing it with other similar stories from other cultures, using it as a stepping stone to really thinking.

Rather than saying Err, Christianity! Bad! I will withdraw my child this instant!

“Rather than saying Err, Christianity! Bad! I will withdraw my child this instant!”

Bit of a straw man, don’t you think?

Unless you were there you don’t know that it was taught as fact. Children miss things and misinterpret them.

All you need to do is explain that Noah’s ark and other bible stories are just stories, that some people believe them and some people don’t.

“All you need to do is explain that Noah’s ark and other bible stories are just stories, that some people believe them and some people don’t.”

Well, yes. But the school should have said that if this was an RE lesson. If it was just a story, then why would a child get the message that Noah is a true story and Goldilocks is not, unless someone told her?

If it was just a story, then why would a child get the message that Noah is a true story and Goldilocks is not, unless someone told her?

That's problem with this thread Bertrand. The OP hasn't given any indication of what she means or what actually happened. We have idea why she thinks that the story was being "taught as fact*

The secondary faith (Aided) school where I used to live had a catchment of two villages and two hamlets! That produced relatively few children. Faith is the overriding criteria to get the numbers and some children travel for 15 miles or so if they qualify on that basis. The catchment is deliberately small to attract “better” children from elsewhere. Many children pass the school on their way to another one (C of E) for which they are in catchment. So, they can be choosy!

Plenty of Reception children do think Goldilocks is real. I myself believed I was a Princess for many years as a child, and was quite upset when I couldn't feel a pea under my mattress. I believed my teacher was a witch too because I got the wrong end of the stick.
Just tell your children what you believe. Parents have a much stronger influence than school.

“Plenty of Reception children do think Goldilocks is real. ”

Do they? Really?

My ds firmly believed his invisible friend was real until he was 7 years old. Hasn’t damaged him in any way whatsoever.

Is your child going to suffer in any way by this? No. I see absolutely no point in getting worked up about it.

My ds firmly believed his invisible friend was real until he was 7 years old. Hasn’t damaged him in any way whatsoever.“
That was something he decided for himself. It was not trusted adults telling him wrong science and history.