Learning about other's beliefs

There was a choice of humanities when the DC were at school but it was impossible to take Geography, History and Comparative Religion for GCSE.
It was one or another.

RE is a compulsory subject now but there is no requirement to take a GCSE in it.

Are you sure? I know it's compulsory to teach it up to year 11 but can't find any information that says all pupils must take GCSE in RE.

Yes it's been compulsory for a few years now. And I believe it should be... however a few textbooks weren't completely accurate...at the end of the day people believe what they want. So not everyone might agree with 100% of their own religion. Or come from a varying sect. But you get at least a generalisation.

I've never heard of RE being a compulsory GCSE subject before. Was it a faith school?

*RE teacher lived in the same road (typo)

My son was also a confirmed atheist, but GCSE RE was compulsory. The RE lived in the same road as I did and made a point of crossing the road to speak to me one day. I feared she was going to tell me how disruptive my son was, but she actually wanted to tell me what a delight he was. Apparently, the two of them had some quite heated, but well-informed arguments about religion and ethics, etc.

A* had been introduced by the time he did GCSE, which he duly achieved along with the school prize for RE (shock horror).

This is Essex's agreed syllabus for RE:

schools-secure.essex.gov.uk/other/Essex_SACRE/Pages/Essex-SACRE.aspx

I would imagine most authorities are the same.

The Imam is probably going to talk about Muhamed's life, what a mosque looks like or Ramadan. I don't know that much about any of those topics, so I'd quite like to go. I certainly wouldn't keep my children away.

My daughter, a confirmed atheist from about 14 took Religious Studies at GCSE and gained an 'A' (in the days before A*s). She chose questions, such as issues around abortions, which were more ethically based.

She found the classes interesting as it taught students how to look at different sides of a debate, different issues, to respect the opinions of others and generally keep an open mind.

My GS, now 12, had a good education about religions in primary school. Reaching secondary school, he politely informed his RE teacher that he was an atheist. He comes from an atheist/humanist family but accepted that RE in primary school helped him to make his mind up. He and his teacher reached a mutually acceptable understanding.
I would agree that RE is useful ONLY if it provides unbiased information about all the major faiths in order for children to be able to make decisions about their beliefs - or unbelief.

Well said elegran.

I think there are oppressed wives in all societies - oppressed husbands too! In this country, as in most "civilised" ones, it is against the law to beat or bully a wife (or husband!) but it still happens.

There are people everywhere whose nature it is to want to control, by fair means or foul. In some cultures, the traditional supremacy of men reinforces the instinct to be the leader of their particular clan or family group. The law has to lead the way to brand them outcasts and make such behaviour so unacceptable that it becomes a rarity. The rise of a militant mindset does work against that progress.

sorry for the spelling mistakes. must turn auto correct off of my phone!

Ok I will keep that in mind. This is the first time I've been on gransnet. Purely because I saw this thread and thought it is my duty to say something.... I'm a regular reader on mumsnet. Though I don't post. Maybe I should start.... I just hope people don't look at me walking down the street and think my husband beats me and I am planning to make a bomb.....because I can asure you that would be very far from the truth. We work. Pay our taxes and raise our kids to respect all walks of life. We have our opinions. But tend not to share due to the havoc it seems to cause. Even though many others of no religion would think the same. I do wear a head scarf. But I don't cover my face. I wear westernwestern cotes. Jeans and a tunic. Maybe a car die if it's cold. I like my heels and colourful scarves and try to make myself as open as possible. We aren't all stuck non the middle ages. I am lucky in that I have many friends from all different backgrounds and have been accepted everywhere I go because I try to be open and friendly and smile. So important to smile. I always get nice comments about the kids behaviour and appearance. And I am happy. But still even with a smile on my face. Happy kids people still think I am oppressed. .... I wandered who the oppressed ones actually are sometimes. X

Please post more often, Ohdear123 on other threads and whenever you can. Very often people say things about those of other religions, cultures, politics, races, colours etc etc without having the least knowledge or personal experience. That makes them liable to see them through a hazy lens - sometimes rosecoloured specs, sometimes ones clouded by prejudice and fear. Posts from someone such as yourself are very useful.

I agree with you gilly bob but if he was going to promote something bad he wouldn't be let in. They would have checked what the content of his talk would have been to make sure it was appropriate and also age appropriate. Oh and we took them to the different places of worship. Not with school. Because it's not always something a school can do.

Ignore the first line, I accidentally posted this on the wrong thread then copied and pasted it on here!

Add comment | Report | Private message Anya Tue 06-Dec-16 10:16:09
My GC have visited the Sikh temple, a mosque and a synagogue with Beavers and Cubs. They've also visited the Mad Museum, the bowling alley, the Guide Dog Centre, been carol singing, camping, night walks in the woods (one lot got lost!) been kayaking, sailing, up climbing walls, down a cave ...I could go on forever.

So this visit is just part of the rich fabric of life, nothing to get worked up about AND an experience which is offered by more than just schools, proving that other organisations see the benefit too.

My DGD had a school "trip" to a synagogue when she was in year 4, aged 8-9. I don't know what the children expected but I do know that she was very disappointed. They do have RE at primary school.

I enjoyed reading your post Ohdear123 but I think one of the reasons that primary schools invite religious leaders in to talk to the children and take them on trips to synagogues etc. is that Ofsted mark the school on its diversity. If the school is 99% English, Christian, then they have to find something to enable Ofsted to tick the box.

Should be how they started

Do schools have RE as a lesson now? In my secondary school we had morning assembly ( Christian so hymn and morning prayers etc) but we also had RE lessons where we were taught basic of other religions how the started etc we learnt about Jewish , Muslim religion then

Thank you. If anyone has any questions we do our best to answer then. My kids went to visit churches synagogues. And other places of worship. I don't see the harm in learning about others and if the school really thought it was promoting hatred of women they wouldn't invite him in. Sounds like they could do well to attend the assembly also. I would like to add I am white British also if that makes a difference

Lovely to hear it from your point of view Ohdear

Excellent answer absent

As a Muslim woman with sons and a daughter this saddens me. The media pl
Ortrays our religion as women beaters etc. But this is not Islam. Islam holds grateful respect for women. And I doubt the imam will be talking abut these things but probably about the prophets. Who are the same as those in Christianity by the way. And the holidays they celebrate. My husband has never hit me and never would and I am treated like a queen and my daughter like a princess. This is exactly why the right people should educate others on their religions. So people stop listening to the media. Yes there have been terrible things haopening but they are people using Islam's name to get the reaction they want. Islam does not teach any of these things thougb

Thanks absent - and others - for your calm and sensible comments.

As to the original post, I would be concerned that by removing the children from school on that day, they may perhaps get the impression that there is something undesirable about Muslims.

I think it is very unlikely that the imam is going to give a serious theological lecture to primary school children or even to talk about Islam in any great depth. I think it is much more likely that he will look at the things that religions have in common – the importance of kindness, family, love and charity. The love of a single god who may be called different names. He may also talk about religious festivals and celebrations – something most children can grasp easily.

Children take in a great deal more than we sometimes give them credit for but may also be very confused about what they have heard, seen or read. Aggressive Islamophobia, which seems to be becoming even more widespread than the in the months following 9/11, does need counterbalancing. Children need to understand that not all Muslims by any means are terrorists or potential terrorists.

I think it is also helpful if children understand that a schoolfriend can't come for a sleepover because it coincides with his or her important holy day, can't come to tea because of religious constraints about food or can't come swimming in the holidays because it involves a group of mixed boys and girls. Incidentally, I am not saying that such things are good things or right things but people's beliefs – religious and cultural – inform their behaviour and that of their children.