7 year old doesn't want to do R.E.

maman

I think I'd take the line with your DD that she needs to learn about everything whether it's boring or not.


BUT, I do think the amount of class and homework time spent on RE sounds excessive. I'm amazed that the school has time for this with all the other things that need to be covered in the curriculum.


What I'd do (unknown to your DD) is ask for an appointment with the Headteacher. Tell them that it appears (from what DDs said and HW) that an awful lot of RE is being taught and that's worrying you as you want to be sure everything else has its place too. What's the curriculum/timetable likely to be for this coming year? How much time devoted? How is it taught (to get a clue about videos)? Is there a syllabus? etc etc.


The reason I wouldn't tell DD is that there's nothing more some children like than pressing buttons on parents. If she knows she gets a reaction from you when she says 'too much RE' she'll keep pressing those buttons.

Tropez

Mojisola wrote: »

That would be a breaking point for me.

Yeah, to be honest, if I had a kid and someone at school was trying to teach them the 6,000 year old Earth theory then I'd be making an official complaint.

peachyprice

gayleygoo wrote: »

they watch bible videos everyday during video time,

I would be equally concerned as to why they are having 'video time' every day, how do they manage to fit a full curriculum in when they're taking time out to stick the children in front of a TV?

GobbledyGook

I think you have two separate issues.

A subject is being taught in a way that is leaving your daughter bored. Bored children don't learn as well as those who are captivating by the teacher.

Plus it sounds like the level of religious teaching is excessive. Even in the catholic schools I've worked in they haven't had bible videos every day and parents send their children there knowing there is a strong religious ethos.

How do you feel the school is doing in other areas? When you look at your child's homework does she have a good spread of other subjects? Is she progressing through those subjects as you think she should be?

There should be a process for withdrawing your children from religious eduction being taught as fact. For example in my DD's school the children in all classes do RE at the same time. Those who are withdrawn from the 'god created' lessons are taught together that 'some people believe'. Now I personally believe in a so-called non-denominational school ALL lessons should be 'some people believe' but a daily act of worship is compulsory and a basis in Christianity is the way it is done. There should be no stigma to removing a child and the schools, on the whole, will probably be used to it.

Don't underestimate the effect a new headteacher can have on a school. The whole ethos of a school can change very quickly.

FBaby

She better get used to it since as it stands, she will need to study it until her GCSE.

We are also an atheist family. Not just mum and dad, but extended family too, however, I have always taught my children that religion is part of the world around us. I remember when DD came home one day after an RE session at 5 and asked the question if I believed in God. I started the above explanation, for her to turn around and saying very assertively that SHE believed in God as Mrs Duncan did too! It made me laugh, I knew it would pass.

12 years later, and DD had to chose her options for GCSEs and has decided to take additional RE. I was very surprised, but she said that there was little taught about religion, it's much more about morals, ethics, debating etc... She enjoys the lessons and as she rightly pointed out, it is a useful subject to learn about when considering going to medical school. It certainly hasn't made her interested in joining any religious group.

I think it is a highly important to teach children about the culture of religion. The lessons will involve, it starts with what most children are most familiar with, leading to discussions that are adapted to their ability to reason.

mountainofdebt

Oh dear here we go again..........

gunsandbanjos

Tropez wrote: »

Yeah, to be honest, if I had a kid and someone at school was trying to teach them the 6,000 year old Earth theory then I'd be making an official complaint.

At what point do the dinosaurs figure in a 6000 year old earth?

Mojisola

FBaby wrote: »

I was very surprised, but she said that there was little taught about religion, it's much more about morals, ethics, debating etc...

I don't think anyone would object to the kind of RE your daughter experienced.

That isn't what the OP's daughter's school is dishing up.

Tropez

gunsandbanjos wrote: »

At what point do the dinosaurs figure in a 6000 year old earth?

Apparently they're either a scientific fabrication to deny the truth of creationism to everyone (because scientists = Beelzebub's minions), or they were created on the 6th day and then wiped out in the floods, so obviously Noah's Ark just wasn't big enough to carry them all. Poor guys.

The Young Earth Creationists do tend to believe that dinosaurs and man co-existed for a time. There's a reference in the Bible to some sort of "behemoth" that is apparently a dinosaur and there's some old cave paintings dotted around the world of monstrous creatures that look kinda like dinosaurs.

deva

It sounds like your daughter attends a church school. RE is unique in that there is no national curriculum, rather it is determined locally. Church schools should follow the curriculum as outlined by the local diocese and this would be easy to google. Even in non faith schools Christianity should often make up 50% of curriculum to reflect Britain and it's history.

Unfortunately too often primary RE in particular is poorly taught and palmed off onto someone who is of faith as they are perceived to be more of an expert!

Good RE should be relevant, thought provoking and develop a range of analytical skills. Hopefully with your daughter moving up a school year the next teacher may have a better grasp of the subject.