Different customs- a subject for the school curriculum?

Hello nanna8
Learning about different religions and customs is embedded in the National Curriculum, especially in Key Stages 1 and 2.
It’s very multicultural where I live and worked, and the children visited lots of different places of worship.

I know that it’s considered rude in Japan to be faced with the soles of people’s feet.
I actually agree with this.
There’s a couple of photos of Harry and Meghan (sorry!) and you can see the bottom of his naked feet in the foreground, and I think it looks horrible

I think it is a good idea to provide a picture of other sorts of lives, whether they are based on religion or just general culture and courtesy.

I retired from teaching 11 years ago and as FannyCornforth has said, learning about other faiths and cultures was and I'm guessing, still is, part of the National Curriculum in the UK.

I taught in a Catholic primary school and in KS1 the focus was on other branches of Christianity. In KS2 it was learning about other faiths, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism and Hinduism. Children visited other places of worship, if possible and met other faith leaders.
Our school had quite a diverse ethnic mix so there was informal sharing of knowledge about customs and festivals which was supported in other areas of the Curriculum where possible.
I understand you live in Australia, nanna8. I'm not sure what the position is on learning about other religions and cultures is over there but I would be surprised if there were not some provision for it there too.

Fiorentina I did a PGCE a few years ago, prior to that I was a TA for donkey’s years.
Anyway, when I was doing the academic side of things, it was really apparent that all of best educational research papers were coming from Australia.
I was really quite surprised at how far ahead of the field they seem to be

Different cultures and religions are taught at primary level. We did quite a few visits to different faith places. A synagogue once and the best was the Regent’s Park mosque. The children were enthralled. Best school trip we ever went on, and as one of our teaching assistants was from Pakistan and so were many of our pupils they were so proud to show us everything.

We invited mothers to talk about their religions in classes when we were celebrating special times like harvest festival, the children were enthralled especially with the food.Christian Hymns were cut in assemblies.
Though I must admit the worst fight I ever encountered was between two boys one Pakistani and the other Egyptian they were fighting about who had been on the Haj the most times.
The Pakistani children never played with the Indian or Bangladeshi children ,home ideas had been brought into school. I hope things have changed.

As said above, it is taught as part of religious studies- but not really customs and 'dos and don'ts'.

I think it should be the responsability of the traveller to find out, often well explained in Travel Guides. I have often been throroughly embarrassed, ashamed even- when in Arab countries and going on excursions away from holiday resorts- how disrespectful some people are, wearing very skimpy tops and shorts leaving nothing to the imagination- in traditional mountain villages. A couple of times, the guide handed the worst offenders a shawl to put around their shoulders and waist- only to be told it's none of his or her business.

Perhaps Tour Operators should send a list to all clients before the trip- but some will totally ignore any advice.

As has been said the customs and practices of other religions are taught in schools. But I do wonder about the crossed legs and showing the base of your feet custom and Islam. In fact sitting cross legged is the usual position in mosques. The problem is that Islam is a religion which crosses borders and although some customs may be practiced in some areas it would be wrong to equate those with the religion. In Tunisia our guide was very keen to point out that women wearing the full veil were not Tunisian and it was not a requirement of Islam.

Exactly, there are as many forms of Islam as there are forms of Christianity, with customs to match.

FannyCornforth

Fiorentina I did a PGCE a few years ago, prior to that I was a TA for donkey’s years.
Anyway, when I was doing the academic side of things, it was really apparent that all of best educational research papers were coming from Australia.
I was really quite surprised at how far ahead of the field they seem to be

Australia is one of the most multicultural countries with a population drawn from so many different nationalities and religions.
I've been to large parties where only we and perhaps one other person are of British heritage.
Occasionally you may meet someone who is proud that their British ancestor was sent out on the First Fleet!

PE (comparative religions) is an option at GCSE but customs can vary from country to country even if religions are similar, as Glorianny says.

RE not PE (which is another option).

In the state schools here no form of ‘religion’ can be taught.
Christian, Buddhist or anything else. Unless the students specifically study philosophy they get nothing. They have, however, reinstated Christmas celebrations at most but not all schools but it is more public holiday, Santa sort of stuff. The private schools vary but most do at least give some sort of wider education.

I have to say we only know a very few people of British heritage though a lot of Dutch, German and Eastern European.

Interesting, I didn't know that.
I understand there are a lot of Catholic schools in Australia, at least in areas where families immigrated from Catholic countries.

In the state schools here no form of ‘religion’ can be taught

I was answering that point, nanna8

The RE course at my GSs' school has been re-named 'Ethics and Morality' and does include customs and traditions of various different religions and cultures. Both the boys have enjoyed the course.

My children learnt about different religions, with trips to a Synagogue, Gurdwara, Mosque and Church, but I don't think they learnt about secular customs in other cultures.

I think that children would be really interested in things like showing your soles, removing shoes in houses, taking business cards with both hands - I find them fascinating as an adult.

I wish we’d have had it. It was all strictly Church of England at my school and I used to feel awkward because I didn’t know all the refrains etc, being brought up in a Methodist church. Still don’t know them, I have to say. It would have been good to go to a mosque or Buddhist temple but I never got that until I was old enough to travel around the world.

Same in France nanna8. The separation between church and state took place at the end of the nineteenth century. Traditionally before that there was frequently a battle between the priest and the schoolteacher in rural villages. The secular nature of schools is strictly observed.

I should have made clear in my post above that the RC schools in Australia are private schools, fees are subsidised by the church.

It's only in England that the C of E is Established in the UK.