Bit confused as to why Dd's non religious school is starting a religious based kids club

[CrackerOfNuts]

Dd2 gave me a leaflet today, all excited she was. It is for a new kids club they are going to start next week, which will run for an hour after school on a Tuesday.

Leaflet says that there will be drama, games,etc and the club will be christian themed.

Now I am not religious at all and have not brought my kids up to be either, although that said, I do not mind at all if they learn about and experiance other religions. Dd2 goes to Brownies and attends church parade, but this was our choice.

I feel a bit miffed, rightly or wrongly, that the school have decided to run this club, but make it themed, why not just make it a club ?

So why does the SU prssurise children?

I did not say it was evil, I did not say I was fearful. I am not. That is not my language.

I am saying that I believe it is wrong to allow evangelical organisations into schools (captive market, restricting choice straight away). I am saying I find it devious to promote the club first and foremost as a games/art/drama club, to give out sweets and to regularly have recruitment drives such as bring a friend.

they're just using the school as a base, it could be in the local church hall, same difference.

Looking at the SU website, the work they do in schools appears to be part of the RS curriculum (ie teaching about what it means to be a Christain, and they may do this alongside people of other faiths), or helping children who have already made a decision to have a new life in Christ to grow in faith.

How can it be part of the RS cirriculum when it is after school and voluntary?

I think the club is optional, so not sure what the issue is. Lunch time club is more of an issue. If anything let your DD go and use it as the starting point for discussion about what you believe about God (or not), if it arises. Unless you really don't want her in contact with God type things in which case don't let her go. But she will come into contact with other religions at some point.

Is it part of the RS curriculum?

I would make a huge fuss about this becauwe it is peddling crap to kids while pretending not to. It's tempting kids to come to a club that sounds like a lot of fun and the aim of forcefeeding them crap. Unless the OP lives in a very white area, it's going to make the muslim/jewish/sikh/hindu kids feel either excluded or got at (ie they will probably be allowed to go and then teased or pressured or sneered at until they say they buy into the crap.)

more hypocracy, madamez

There is an after-school club at ds' school, and it's run by Christians, and fully supported by the school.
Everybody is free to attend, and parents are aware that the arts and craft are based on biblical teaching. If they're not happy, then their kids don't go. Simple.
Very definitely don't agree with "unless the OP lives in a very white area..."etc. Christians come in all colours, you know..

It is not pretending anything or being devious. It sounds like it IS primarily a games/crafts or whatever club, but it is very honest that said activities will be Christian-based. And like ScienceTeacher says, that will likely be things like kindness, looking after each other, albeit they may well mention Bible stories.

I doubt anyone will feel excluded. Parents will make their decisions for themselves, as they do for other activities. My children certainly don't go to every club/activity around, for many different reasons.

There are several church-run youth groups locally. Some have absolutely NO Christian content whatsoever, they are just a place for primarily disadvantaged children to go and have fun and be safe. Others have 10-minute slot in the middle where they try to discuss a topic or have a 'theme' for the week. But again, it's all very upfront and both parents (those that care where their children are) and children are 100% aware that it's run by a church group.

If parents really don't want their children to go to such a club it's their choice and it's up to them to explain to their children why not, in terms appropriate to the children's age etc. Same as every other decision we make.

I personally disagree more with the growing trend for primary schools to stop running their own after-school sports clubs and 'buy in' coaches meaning that parents then have to pay for the formerly free activities.

evangelical after school club?

PS this is a joke.

The thing is, while all religion is crap from start to finish, the principal here is that this organisation is peddling crap to schoolkids by suckering them in with goodies. How would all you pro-superstition types feel about a club that was run along identical lines except that it was sponsored by, say, Disney, and all the activities would have a Disney-characters theme (and would undoubtedly be all about kindness, helping others, playing fair, being true to yourself etc) with the underlying aim of flogging Disney-branded tat to the kids.
Or substitute Disney with Labour/COnservative/BNP. Or, indeed, how about if the local Druids or indeed the local Humanists wanted to set up such a group?

oh sod, wrong link posted! It was supposed to be the child catcher from chitty chitty bang bang, not a pile of shit!

PMSL, as typos go, that one was a blinder!

I wouldn't worry Mademez, because if I didn't like it I wouldn't send my child.

Easy really.

MB: MAGNIFICENT wrong-link .

farking blinding, wasn't it!

I'd posted the sack of shit stuff for OJ and as idea of what to send her vil MIL for her birthday!!!

The reason that schools 'buy' in coaches is that their own clubs are only free because they are run by the goodwill of the teaching staff who do not get paid for after school activities.
If you don't like it madamez don't send your DC-it is entirely voluntary.

Yes, I realise that AbbeyA, but my point is that that could be seen to 'exclude' far more children, as do many children's activities for one reason or another.

Like others have said, the answer is don't support it if you have deep-seated objections to it. That's what I do in many areas of life, and I tell my children why.

You are quite right eccoworrier-the money will exclude, however people who have free clubs run by school staff should be very grateful-I think some people just take them for granted and don't realise that they are very lucky to have staff prepared to run them for free on top of a heavy teaching load!

Nothing like a bit of respect, madamez

It is very hard to say to your child, no you cannot go to this fun club because they are trying to convert as many 'unchurched children' as possible.

All the child sees is fun, games, sweets and their friends going along.

Clubs which actively promote one religion (which is very different to teaching about different religions - that is what the curriculum is about and I am amazed that difference is hard to see) should not be allowed in non-denom schools.

If a child of mine wants to go to a Chritianity promoting youth club they can go to one run by one of my local churches.

I am very much in favour of RME in schools. That is completely different.

If you really don't want them to go pointydog then you just say so, it is nothing to do with the school-it is voluntary. They could have handed leaflets for one held in the local church-they are handed out all the time in schools-Stagecoach-Kumon Maths-karate etc.Non-denominational schools are not run by a church-they are not anti religion.

It is to do with the school. It is school property and the children have no choice but to be there during the day.

(By the way, my real objection is to lunch time clubs which is what SU usually do.)

Nuts, is the club called Jaffa Club?

I am not 'anti religion'. I am anti evangelical orgs exerting subtle and not so subtle pressures on my children in places which they are not able to avoid. I have seen it first hand and I do not like it.

The children have the choice to go or not-it is voluntary,-I would imagine it is after they have gone home-it is not part of the school day.