primary schools having church services.(.again!) anyone else object??

[cjsausie]

DS is in P1 (reception) at smallish scottish school which is non denominational. I have seroius issues with my son attending the termly services at the local kirk (the minister is not particularly modern thinking - a friend's son was told by him that god made the dinosaurs!!!). whilst i don't want him to feel left out of school activities i think the school should place less emphasis on this event as i think 5 years old is too young to be preached to. christmas is easy to explain away re a nice story about a good man who lived long time ago etc but it is the forhtcoming easter service which concerns me. Does anyone else feel the same? i know a few other parents who do. Incidentally it is not the going to church that bothers me per se and i would be more than happy if the school had visits to a mosque or sinagogue etc ...

I think that if you want your child to make up his /her own mind about God when they're bigger, then they need to be able to experience it and to hear both sides of the argument. Between you and school, presumably they'll get that balance. And you'll have more influence as a parent than a termly visit to church. Agree it would be nice to do mosques and synagogues as well though.

DD goes to a non denom. primary school in London.

They have a christmas carol service in the local churc but there is no preaching or anything. It is all just very sweet.

I think it is a good thing. We are essentially a christian country (not that I am a christian) and children have to be able to experience church (she wouldn't through me!)

They do go on trips to mosques etc I believe in future too.

I think it is good to expose DCs to different thinking and then they can make up their own mind when they are older.A mosque or synagogue is not going to be part of a small Scottish village but the kirk will be part of the local culture.(they will learn about other religions in lessons)

I think it's nice. And the 'God made the dinosaurs' line is OK from someone who believes in God. A lot better than those nutty intelligent designers, for a start.

This is a Christian country - you can't understand the first thing about its history or culture without some nodding acquaintance with Christianity, whether you choose to believe/scoff/dispute/jump up and down upon it/whatever.

As for the Easter story, why not expand what you've already told him about Christmas? Say it's a about a good man who lived a long time ago and people like to remember him.