Christian message in school - opinions please?

[katelyle]

I've copied this op from another thread I started because I think that the title I gae it meant that I didn't get many replies and those that I did get agreed with me! I really need lots of views before I talk to the Head tomorrow. I would link to the other thread, but I don't know how!

"My year 6 dd went to a "moving on"workshop at school last week.She came home enthusing about it - they played team building games and talked about their fears and so on. I was pleased that the school arranged this.I asked her who the people doing it were and she didn't know. Then this morning, I looked at the book she got, and discovered that it was published by the Scripture Union, and had a very strong but subtle evangelical message "I am going to a big school with lots of new faces. I don't need to worry because Jesus is always with me" and lots more like this. There are references to God on more than half the pages. Am I being unreasonable to object to this? The school is a state one, but not a church one."

I would object to it too... not sure if we're both reasonable or both unreasonable...

I wouldn't object to it but I can understand why people would and I think it would be perfectly reasonable to approach the headmaster about this.

The UK is nominally a Christian country, and even non-denominational state schools are supposed to have an act of worship - 'of a broadly Christian nature' is the wording IIRC - but parents are allowed to withdraw their children from any religious activity. This definitely sounds like a religious activity, so you should have had the option to withdraw your child from it. Did you get offered that option? If not, then I think you certainly have grounds for complaint.

:'It's your Move" Anyone's dcs get this book? did this work?

Can't get the link to work

No it didn't - sorry!

Mc dreamy, can I ask you why you wouldn't object? I really need both sides of the argument!

Just because we are a christian family (Roman Catholic) and go to church etc so having a session at school with a christian message emphasises what we do anyway. The DC's say their prayes everynight and God is mentioned, DD knows a little bit about Jesus.

But I can understand why another parent would find this unacceptable for their children (Christian family or not) and I really think it would be entirely reasonable for you to bring this up with the headmaster. I do feel you should have been approached about this happening.

I'm a former Christian, now sort of pagan with taoist leanings! You should have been given warning about the content of the course and the option to withdraw your dd. However, by yr 6 she should have a pretty good idea if she believes in Jesus or not and if she's never believed in him being with her before I'm not sure she will on the strength of an afternoon's teambuilding. I'm happy for my dcs to go to church things with the school so they understand what Christianity is about and so that they can choose for themselves what to believe.

I'm not keen on Scripture Union myself and woudl question their involvement in a state school. They have one type of Christianity to get across and even when I was a Christian I wouldn't have been happy.

Have you talked to your dd about the religious content? Maybe it's gone over her head.

I would be furious and definitely complain to the Head but then thast is just me. I have already complained about DD learning hymns in singing practice.

I'm not particularly bothered about my own dd - we are not Christians but we try to be a spiritual family and we talk about faith and religion and things a lot. It's more the principle of the thing that I object to. And I quoted on my other thread this extract "Ian thought that knowing Jesus would be important if he got bullied because Jesus would know what was going on even if other people didn't believe him" I am very uncomfortable with that message.

DS nowhere near year 6 but I know some of the people who run this type of course. It isn't that uncommon for schools to look to outsiders to help deliver some of the PSHE lessons as well as RE lessons, and I suspect that the actual lessons/sessions were pretty non-religious. I don't know where you are but in some areas the staff who deliver the workshops in primary schools then also go to the seondary schools in the first few weeks in Sept/Oct to provide some continuity for children, and a listening ear. Most schools appreciate this type of input which is provided at low or no cost.

Although the Scripture Union is an evangelical publishing house it does publish books that are used in schools (usually PSHE and RE areas). The fact that yours is not a CofE school wouldn't stop many SU resources being used by the school. Likewise there may be a number of Christian teachers.

I suspect that the sessions run were fine (and non-religious), but the literature left may have a stronger religious message. I haven't read the other thread but if you are unhappy about this I think that you ned to be very specific about what it is that you are unhappy about. Objecting to a religious organisation presenting PSE type lessons seems a bit unreasonable, but I think expressing your concerns that the literature given out had an inappropriate content would be valid. No idea as to the religious mix in your area, but I guess if you could have had the same issues with say a muslim-led initiative then it is worth discussing with the head - perhaps the sessions could be had without the literature being given out.

I can be very specific about what I am unhappy about. I am unhappy about any organization being allowed to be evangelize in schools.

From what dd said the workshop was not faith-based and they were told that could take the book if they wanted to. But they were not told that the book was evangelical in tone, and they all took a copy. It was, from what I hear, an excellent workshop - and it seems to be a real shame that it has to be linked to Christianily in this way. If I had known about it in advance and withdrawn my child she would have missed out on the workshop.

My chn go to a church school, but if I'd chosen not to send them to one,I would not be happy with chn being given literature by a religous organisation.

Well I think that you need to be more specific I'm afraid - if you are happy with the workshop then presumably it is only the literature that you are unhappy with? Or do you think that the workshop shouldn't have been offered either?

im with katelyle here. great idea to have a positive helpful workshop... not ok to use it to promote religious propaganda.
imo.

I don't quite understand, ladymuck - how do you mean more specific?

If the workshop had absolutely no faith-based subtext then I would be happy for it to go ahead so long as the literature wasn't given out but I suppose the people doing it wouldn't be happy to do it on that basis.

You can but ask. IME the organisations who run these workshops would be happy to continue to do so even if they are asked specifically not to offer any literature. That is why I think you should be specific. If you perceive that the workshop was valuable but you would have preferred for evangelistic literature not to be offered then that is a reasonable request (and would be the normal practice in schools with say a significant muslim intake). If you just dislike the organisation and don't even want them in the school at all then that is somewhat different.

You could of course see if you could source any similar literature without a subtext, and see if that could be offered instead by the school.

I'm not sure how I feel about this.
For a church school - I would think it was part and parcel of the ethos.
Perhaps the school didn't know about the contents of the handout?