Home online learning - opting out of RE

[OptOutRE]

Just want to know whether anyone else has done/is thinking of doing this. My DD is 13 and in S2 and we're doing OK with the online learning although it mainly consists of been given work to go away and do and then minimal comments back on the work that they send in - no Zoom lessons or anything especially interactive. We use Show My Homework/Satchel One and my phone is constantly pinging with notifications of homework being set or notifications that homework has/hasn't been submitted.

Today I had 4 notifications from the RE teacher, setting homework for submission by the end of the school day. It isn't particularly onerous but it is voluminous and I'd much rather my DD spend some time reading a book, or doing some history research, or doing her art homework than having to spend time doing homework for RE.

My DD is engaged but finding it hard doing all this work without the exchange of chat/ideas/debate with fellow pupils and without the input of teaching from a teacher face-to-face. If I could lessen her load I would because it's hard for her and we're finding it difficult .

We're a non-faith family but I've never minded her doing her 1 hour of RE every week because, in a classroom environment, I can see the value of debate and exchange of ideas. But this doesn't happen in the confines of her bedroom over a computer screen and it just seems pointless.

I'd just send an email to the Head and say can we opt out. I'm not going to get in a barney about it or anything.

Be interested to hear what others think.

I would perhaps opt out of tasks that are voluminous or spread them over the time that would normally be spent on that subject, rather than opting out of an entire subject. If DD has research task for History perhaps don't do one that duplicates that skill. Setting a deadline for today for a whole load of tasks seems excessive.

I'm an English teacher so would have 5 periods of my BGE classes and am setting work/ holding Meets/ sharing resources to reflect this and setting over the week. But, I always go to great pains to reinforce the message that I don't want my pupils to be overwhelmed. I don't want them sitting in front of a screen for 7 hours a day and missing being outdoors during daylight.

I know I am feeling sick and sore due to this and I am an adult.

If she would ordinarily be doing RE in school I wouldn't seek to opt out during lockdown. Picking and choosing which compulsory subjects to participate in is a slippery slope. Would be emphasising that she shouldn't be spending any more time on a particular subject than normal though. If the volume of work is a problem I might query this but in the case of my DDs it is quite possible they are stretching the work to suit their argument - anything they don't like is extremely difficult and takes far more time than they have available especially if it is making their bed or stacking the dishwasher or writing half a page expressing a personal opinion.

All good points. I hear what you're saying about not opting out if you wouldn't have done so and school was on as normal. It's all about trying to keep things as 'normal' as possible isn't it? Except it isn't. This isn't a slippery slope of opting out of subjects she doesn't like but I see what you mean Dinnafashyersel

Lidl it does seem a lot of work and I guess it's the fact that it's supposed to be done by the end of the day. Maybe that's a mistake.

I'm more concerned that my S2 DD is keen to know all about what subjects she'll be picking for S3 and is wanting information about that. Obviously if she was in school, she could be asking the teachers about that. She's sad and frustrated about not being in school and was nearly in tears yesterday when I broke it to her that she's probably not going back in on Feb 1st and might not, in a worst case scenario, be back in straightaway after Half Term.The thought of not being in school until Easter is something she can't actually comprehend at the moment.

I might tell her just to do one element of the homework and leave the rest. My main reason for not doing anything is that I don't want to give the poor Head Teacher any more to deal with than she already has.

Meanwhile I'll get back to my S5 DS who is absolutely snowed under, spinning plates trying to revise (for what? Prelims postponed? Cancelled? Who the F**k knows!) while submitting shit loads of work. I bet he'd love to drop a subject at this juncture

Yeah I’d opt out, just email in and say she’s not doing it. I opted my DD out of RE in the last lockdown. We had a quick chat about Islam over dinner once, I figured that would do. It’s useful to understand but not vital. And it isn’t compulsory or examined.

This lockdown she is doing the RE if the lessons are more interesting, but I’m not hassling her about it.

With respect, the fact you are a “non faith family “ isn’t relevant. We are a non French family but my kids still did French in S2 because a MFL was part of BGE.

Lots of kids from non PE families still do PE at school. If anything, it could be argued that children from families who have no interest in sport and exercise, MFL or RMPS have MORE need to do some at school, not less.

If your child is overwhelmed with work, that’s a different matter and yes you need to discuss with the school. Though personally I’d contact your child’s pupil support / guidance teacher or head of year, not the HT.

My children are primary aged but we're struggling to keep on top of everything sent from school. I've taken the decision that they won't be engaging the work that is set by outside teachers, so music and PE, only doing work set by class teacher as its just too much.

They are getting outdoors for exercise, we're just not doing the school mandated PE.