religios education

[sunflower68]

Not sure where this thread belongs; I guess it's a bit of a wild one. Within RE at the school I am a teaching assistant in, we are doing 'creation'. Does this mean the kids should be told Adam and Eve made the world and that Jesus was born in a stable? Shouldn't they be shown all religions? It is a mixed race school but do we have to stick to Church of England claptrap?

[jno]

sorry if this is an ignorant response, but doesn't anyone provide you with a curriculum? Personally, I would find it useful to compare different religions' views on creation (I don't think Jesus is directly relevant to this, although Christianity regards his coming as in effect a second creation). And Adam and Eve didn't make the world in CofE teaching, though they may well have done so in the view of other religions.

[LeMarchand]

Surely all creation myths could be viewed as "claptrap" by those not belonging to the relevant faiths?

[jake-the-peg]

I'm sorry LeMarchand but yes they should!

OK maybe they should be taught as "traditional stories" or something but there's no excuse for teaching kids that the earth was really made in 7 days and that Adam and Eve were real and the first men and women when the evidence to the contrary has been there for 200 years and would sink a battleship!

In most schools even COE this wouldn't arise although there's some scandalous goings on in some "faith schools".

I think the point is that this is an RE lesson in a COE school so they probably don't have to teach other religions. The time to ring alarm bells is if this sort of thing starts turning up in science lessons!

I have to say our American cousins have it right - religion has no place in school

[sunflower68]

jno, nobody provides me, a lowly assistant, with any kind of curriculum, I wish they did! Maybe its the school; all the parents of the school my kids go to get termly breakdowns of the curriculum.

I too would agree that all religions must be looked at. Sorry, I am not too au fait with the bible but I just assumed Adam and Eve were part of it ( where are they in it then and please excuse my ignorance!)

Le Marchand, as jake-the-peg says, I am just saying the Cof E stories are pretty high-fetched to be classed as the truth to a school full of very impressionable kids, many of them of other faiths. My bloke is American - he can't believe ANY religion is taught in any way over here.

I did RE 'O' level 20 years ago (OMG)and recall visits to Mosques, Sikh temples etc. I took that subject because the teacher made it so interesting.

[jno]

God created the world and then the creatures on it; Adam and Eve, the first people (Adam first of course!) were created on the sixth day; then he rested. Some argue that Genesis - the relevant book in the Bible - actually contains two creation stories that were never entirely reconciled.

Have a look at this for instance

[LeMarchand]

Surely as long as the creation myth is being taught as part of RE (and not Science) then why the problem? Unless you are working in a "faith" or private school, then (AFAIK) there is a curriculum requirement to study other faiths as well. However, as a nominally CoE country, I believe RE does tend to gravitate towards Christianity.

Look at it another way: do you think Muslim or Sikh countries spend time on other religons at school?

[Lonnie]

Maybe you could formulate a few alternative plans, eg, one based on religion, evolution etc, and present it to your head teacher for approval, what sort of age are your kids?, what level of understanding do they have?, almost every race has its own creation stories. I personally would go down the Darwinian route, but whatever you do, has to be approved by you bosses, good luck.

[jake-the-peg]

OK got this from the DfES website

Religious EducationUnder the Education Act 1996 schools must provide religious education (RE) for all registered pupils, although parents can choose to withdraw their children. Schools, other than voluntary aided schools and those of a religious character, must teach religious education according to the locally agreed syllabus. Each agreed syllabus should reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian, while taking account of the teachings and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain.

So the syllabus must be agreed with the LEA and take in other principal religions - apart from schools 'of a religious character'

So is your school CofE or voluntary aided or 'of a religious character' if so they can legally teach all the claptrap they like as part of RE. If not they have to cover all the major religions

[sunflower68]

Wow thanks all! jno I really appreciated the link; Le Marchand it isn't a Cof E school, in fact a special needs school of no denomination. I think it is wrong that RE gravitates towards CofE; it did not in my day. To add fuel to my fire it is a special needs school. The specific class deals with autism and speech delay. I did not mention it earlier as it would perhaps change the argument somewhat. I do feel these children are finding learning hard right now without having to decipher odd, unbelievable 'tales.'

Jake-the-peg thanks for taking the time to look up the law etc. Perhaps special needs do not come into any of those categories, I don't know. All I know is I feel uncomfortable in the classroom when RE comes up; I feel it is a bit like Sunday School.

[Lonnie]

sunflower, my daughters Autistic, so I can appreciate the work that you'll have to put into this, good luck with it.

[jno]

sunflower this page has links to creation stories from all sorts of religions - happy hunting!

[mata hari]

Hmmm ... lots to consider eh?

Did you ever wonder during your school years , who exactly who were Caan and Able suposed to "go forth and multiply" with? Our teacher would always fob the question off, but who else was there?

[Dolly1308]

Just wondering sunflower if you took O Levels in RE how come you are not au fait with the Bible or is it just that you are more interested in other faiths (claptrap)?

[sunflower68]

dolly1308 guess which O level I failed? That's right RE!! I can remember doing a lot on St Luke's gospel but to be perfectly honest not a lot of it stuck in my mind. I guess it's what interests you. I can still remember Shakespeare quotes though because I loved English. Perhaps you are right, it's just not the Christian claptrap which interests me.

[ellesbelles]

Need some real help here myself. My school is going to change into an academy. If that's not bad enough - a faith based school - Oasis Trust to be precise. I've read on the net that they have bids in "as long as your arm." We are trying to oppose this but I think Tony Blair and his messianic approach is really into it so don't think we have much chance. Oasis trust doesn;t teach creationism but many of us are really worried. Advice and?or information please.