Religious Education

[Fran]

Originally Posted by babycakes

It used to be part of the curriculum though didn't it not an option?

When I was at school, I dropped cooking in favour of music 'o' level. It certainly wasn't compulsory at my school..

[babycakes]

Do you know I'm probably mistaken may have been an option (Can't really remember that far back!!! or probably don't want to)

[dandysmom]

Very well said, Fran! I couldn't agree more.....

[Donna]

Originally Posted by Fran

I don't agree, sorry Donna. It's sort of a selfish attitute that, 'well I don't believe so I don't want to understand why others do and what it's all about' RE also gives a great insight into world troubles and why certain religions only eat certain foods, eat it in a certain manner etc... If this only provides you with a reason why your local curry house cooks the meat the way it does then at least it's something learned. All learning enriches us, it helps mould an all round, well balanced individual that is educated enough to make choices based on fact and gives an insight into what makes the world go round. No man is an Island as my father would have said. We live in a multicultural society. To understand different religions, needs, traits, allows us to live harmoniously will all our neighbours

I think you are all getting me wrong . You think I dont want my kids learning about muslims and whatnot. That is not the case. I am fed up about them shoving christian stuff at her as well. It is not a race issue. But a religion issue. The whole lot.

I didnt want this to turn into a bashing at me because I am an athiest. But just wanted advice as to whether I could stop her having to have this shoved down her throat.

Religion causes all the problems in this world and there would be far less wars without it. Then we might actually start getting on with people in other countries.

As much as you all believe in god I have a right not to.

[Fran]

Originally Posted by Donna

As much as you all believe in god I have a right not to.

You do have a right to, you are quite correct but imo very wrong to inflict your veiws on your children, they should be allowed to make up their own minds, their own choices and they cannot do that without the education to be able to do that, you cannot provide that info for them as you are obviously very biased.

I'm not having a personal attack on you Donna, really I'm not. I just don't agree with your thoughts on this...

If you feel so strongly about this, why not have a word with your children's school?

[Donna]

Both my son and daughter hated RE. They went to a Catholic primary school and they were brainwashed from the age of 4 1/2 to 11.

They have hated lessons ever since. Since Sean dropped RE he has become so much happier at school. It just dragged him down. And now Emma is the same... she was told off for work not done correctly as she felt she couldnt answer questions as the teacher "wanted" them answered as she couldnt get her head round the question.

"where would you go on a pilgrimage?"

Well she answered "I wouldnt go cos I dont believe in god".

Why was she told off and put in detention for that? It is all wrong.

And I dont force my beliefs on my kids otherwise they wouldnt of gone to a Catholic school in the first place. They have grown up making their own decisions.

[Fran]

If this is how you feel Donna, then speak to the school. I don't agree with you but that's just me. Tom has had a lot of problems in the past with RE, he has really not got along with some of his teachers in the past but he's put all that behind him and inspite of it all, he does intend to get his GCSE. I got my 'o' level in RE and it has certainly never done me any harm, it helped me understand a lot about how the world is today. That said, if it wasn't a compulsory subject for my children then I wouldn't force them to study it if they didn't want to.

[babycakes]

Originally Posted by Donna

Both my son and daughter hated RE. They went to a Catholic primary school and they were brainwashed from the age of 4 1/2 to 11.

They have hated lessons ever since. Since Sean dropped RE he has become so much happier at school. It just dragged him down. And now Emma is the same... she was told off for work not done correctly as she felt she couldnt answer questions as the teacher "wanted" them answered as she couldnt get her head round the question.

"where would you go on a pilgrimage?"

Well she answered "I wouldnt go cos I dont believe in god".

Why was she told off and put in detention for that? It is all wrong.

And I dont force my beliefs on my kids otherwise they wouldnt of gone to a Catholic school in the first place. They have grown up making their own decisions.

I don't think she should have been given detention for that but it does sound like she knows the answer but didn't want to give it because of her beliefs, maybe that is taken as insolence as they are only asking for her understanding of the subject? If it was a maths question and she had said I don't know because I will never do algebra when I leave school that would be viewed in the same context.
What you have to watch Donna is that your views maybe influencing theirs? As a parent we pass on our values to our children even if we think we don't.

[Grete]

Originally Posted by Donna

Both my son and daughter hated RE. They went to a Catholic primary school and they were brainwashed from the age of 4 1/2 to 11.

I think there in lies the problem - a Catholic school is of course going to be biased in catholicism and what you feel is brainwashing is just ordinary religious oriented schooling that children of practising catholics would receive.

I'm a pagan but I firmly believe that learning more about other religions is the way to reducing ignorance of other cultures. I think paganism and atheism is also included in amongst all the other religions. I believe it's important to be able to choose for yourself and not follow blindly and to do that you need to have all the information you can.

[yola]

I did RE for 5 years at secondary school and although it was studied alongside O level subjects it was not complusory to take the exam, although some did. I too was Catholic primary school educated, and now I really don't find any empathy or relevance with religion - and I have tried, believe me!

I think there is a huge value in learning about all world religions and it does have a place on the curriculum, but I do feel it is wrong to enforce it as an examinable subject - simply because there is such pressure on children to get 'relevant' qualifications. By this I mean relevant to the commercial world the vast majority of them are going to enter. However, it should be available for those that wish to pursue it from a theological or philosophical perspective.

Donna - I really feel you should get Emma's views about this and get her to tell her what she really feels and not what she think you want to hear. Then you should both go and discuss this with her year teacher or head teacher, because if she feels very strongly against RE it will be detremental to her whole education to have her forced to study it.