Sharing/conflict resolution at nursery school?

notanewuser

liney wrote: »

I think you should ask to go to an assembly and listen to the prayers. They are not the prayers you might hear in church, but child friendly speak so that the children do understand.

My point was that these things involve the Christian God because the National Curriculum states that they must. If you do not want your child to be taught within the National Curriculum, then the options are Independent Schools which do not have to follow it, or to home school.

Your child will probably be taken on a trip to Church at Christmas and Easter too, again to celebrate the Christian Festivals and conform to the 'mostly Christian' aspect of the National Curriculm.

IMO (and that of many others) the National Curriculum is overstepping the mark in this respect. The church visit is fine, especially as I know they also visit mosques and synagogues. I've no issue with religious education, its involuntary religious instruction that I'm arguing against.

If you want your child to worship any deity, you can organise that in your own time or select a faith school. Homeschooling shouldn't be the only option for those that object.

iammumtoone

notanewuser wrote: »

IMO (and that of many others) the National Curriculum is overstepping the mark in this respect. The church visit is fine, especially as I know they also visit mosques and synagogues. I've no issue with religious education, its involuntary religious instruction that I'm arguing against.

If you want your child to worship any deity, you can organise that in your own time or select a faith school. Homeschooling shouldn't be the only option for those that object.

I agree with you, is there nothing being done about it? you say in England they have stopped this, is there any campaign for the same attitude to be adopted in Wales?

Where do all the children of atheists go? they can't all be home schooled.

thorsoak

notanewuser wrote: »

IMO (and that of many others) the National Curriculum is overstepping the mark in this respect. The church visit is fine, especially as I know they also visit mosques and synagogues. I've no issue with religious education, its involuntary religious instruction that I'm arguing against.

If you want your child to worship any deity, you can organise that in your own time or select a faith school. Homeschooling shouldn't be the only option for those that object.

The culture of the United Kingdom is historically Christian. The national curriculum is not overstepping the mark as traditionally there have always been prayers in the morning, grace before meals and a "thank you, take care" prayer/blessing at the end of the day in the primary schools that I have known over many years.

You may wish this culture to change - personally, I would hope that it continues. Just because that is what you wish, and what I wish does not make either view to be the policy that should be adopted. I would suggest that you need to start a dialogue that reaches far beyond the school itself.

notanewuser

iammumtoone wrote: »

I agree with you, is there nothing being done about it? you say in England they have stopped this, is there any campaign for the same attitude to be adopted in Wales?

There was an unsuccessful campaign some years back.

Ironically, I didn't hear about it as the BHA didn't advertise it very well (unlike, I would guess) the churchies.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/welsh-government-not-scrap-religious-2050505

Person_one

thorsoak wrote: »

The culture of the United Kingdom is historically Christian. The national curriculum is not overstepping the mark as traditionally there have always been prayers in the morning, grace before meals and a "thank you, take care" prayer/blessing at the end of the day in the primary schools that I have known over many years.

Having the children say a prayer is explicitly telling them that the Christian god actually exists and that they should be worshipping it.

Its nothing to do with culture or history, they can learn about that without practicing a religion at school.

notanewuser

iammumtoone wrote: »

I agree with you, is there nothing being done about it? you say in England they have stopped this, is there any campaign for the same attitude to be adopted in Wales?

Where do all the children of atheists go? they can't all be home schooled.

They haven't stopped it in England. There was guidance issues which allowed schools to interpret the act slightly differently. And many schools do.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14794472

notanewuser

thorsoak wrote: »

The culture of the United Kingdom is historically Christian. The national curriculum is not overstepping the mark as traditionally there have always been prayers in the morning, grace before meals and a "thank you, take care" prayer/blessing at the end of the day in the primary schools that I have known over many years.

You may wish this culture to change - personally, I would hope that it continues. Just because that is what you wish, and what I wish does not make either view to be the policy that should be adopted. I would suggest that you need to start a dialogue that reaches far beyond the school itself.

I intend to.

Culturally, children in Wales were banned from speaking welsh (and punished if they did. We don't do that any more.

Historically many children left school at 14 to go to work. We don't so that either.

Gay sex was illegal at one time. No longer.

Isn't it time this was reassessed?

iammumtoone

thorsoak wrote: »

The culture of the United Kingdom is historically Christian. The national curriculum is not overstepping the mark as traditionally there have always been prayers in the morning, grace before meals and a "thank you, take care" prayer/blessing at the end of the day in the primary schools that I have known over many years.

Christianity is not law, nor is it law to follow any religion. It is law that parents give their child an education and for most of us the only option to do that is a state school. I have to send by child to school by law. I would not want anything that is not the law forced onto him whilst he is there.

I will point out again that I am not anti-religious I take my son to church (if he wants to go, he is allowed to refuse), as i do agree with what you are saying children should be aware of religion as it is our culture but that is my choice as a parent and I strongly believe it is the right of every parent to chose what they want to do in this aspect. I would not like it if religion was forced onto him.

purpleshoes_2

thorsoak wrote: »

The culture of the United Kingdom is historically Christian. The national curriculum is not overstepping the mark as traditionally there have always been prayers in the morning, grace before meals and a "thank you, take care" prayer/blessing at the end of the day in the primary schools that I have known over many years.

You may wish this culture to change - personally, I would hope that it continues. Just because that is what you wish, and what I wish does not make either view to be the policy that should be adopted. I would suggest that you need to start a dialogue that reaches far beyond the school itself.

But not everyone in the UK is Christian or believes in God. I personally would not have wanted to go to school and say prayers, because prayers didn't and don't mean anything to me.

When I was at school parents werent allowed to opt kids out of RE the way they are now, but even so, one period of RE a week, a couple of church services a year and that was enough for me.

Im in Scotland and in schools there has to be at least 6 occasions of religious observance a year and parents are allowed to opt their kids out.

I don't think any child should be forced to say prayers at school or grace, but if a child comes from a non religious home, its unfair to expect that child to go to school and say prayers/grace, when in the home that isn't what she believes in.

There should always be an opt out and no one should be made to feel bad due to their faith, or lack of it.

As for the comment that the staff member made about morals and religion, words actually fail me. Assuming that everyone who worships has decent morals and people who don't wont have is highly judgemental and more than a bit dangerous in my opinion.

liney

Person_one wrote: »

Having the children say a prayer is explicitly telling them that the Christian god actually exists and that they should be worshipping it.

Its nothing to do with culture or history, they can learn about that without practicing a religion at school.

Religious education is a 'some people believe' stance. Religious instruction, which is taught in faith schools, takes the: 'This is God, the only God, and he exists, ' stance.

Whatever our personal views, the majority of UK people in 2011 census said they were Christian (59%) so to follow through, this is what the majority of parents want.

There is an option to withdraw your child from assembly/RE lessons, but for the sake of a couple of lines of speech 3 times a day about kindness, love and consideration? I'm not sure that at primary age this is somehow a bad thing.