Any atheists have experience of sending their kids to one? I can put up with a bit of cr@p hymn singing once a week but the idea of ‘collective worship’ at lunch and the end of the day really puts us off – which is a problem given all the schools where we might move to are C of E linked/supported.

Think mini-JR might get in trouble for pointing out that ‘Daddy says we come from monkeys and that your book is no better than Star Wars’.

CofE is Religion Lite.

Fret not. My kids went to catholic schools and are atheists to the point of embarrassment. The Jesuits apparently said ‘Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man’. Bring em up right and they’ll be right.

Church of England isn’t a real religion, don’t worry about it 😉

‘sides, a bit of religion is useful in a youth’s life, gives them something to react against that isn’t you.

Unless you have a specific cultural objection I would say ( based on near 20 years of primary teaching, half of it supply and in dozens of schools) that the religious aspect will be bugger all. And what there is will do no harm. A few morals and Xmas stories. Live in a City? There will also be more than a few Muslims there as well.

I guess my main concern is that everything will be biased towards a christian point of view and won’t be balanced (especially science). Will ask a few questions and see what they say.

Anyway, I was an objectionable and argumentative little sod at school so I’m sure she’ll stand her ground.

Much of the religious content seems to be centred around music anyway, so I wouldn’t worry. Carol concerts are pretty pleasant things even for fairly hardened atheists.

I guess my main concern is that everything will be biased towards a christian point of view and won’t be balanced (especially science).

I don’t know about C of E, but in my 100% catholic education which I received, religion didn’t come into any lessons at all, other than RE/RI of course. And I never felt at anytime that what I was been taught in biology for example, evolution, natural selection, etc, in anyway conflicted with what I was being taught in RE. Perhaps you’re confusing with christian fundamentalists in the US ? Here in the UK kids which attend catholic schools at least, sit the same science exams as everyone else.

get over it. life is more interesting. stand up for your own ideas/ opinions. get a grip.

mini-aracer goes to a CofE school. To be fair I’m not a hardcore atheist, but the religious affiliation of the school wasn’t even the tiniest factor in our decision to send him there (the fact it’s the best school in the area, the only school within walking distance and where all the other local kids go was rather more significant). Doesn’t bother me in the slightest that he spends some time doing religious stuff rather than something else “more useful” – I reckon collective worship and the like is actually good for him – and who cares if his writing exercise is a story about Jesus? Though if it is an issue, it is possible to opt your kids out. As a semi-insider (I go in to help with IT one morning a week, so am on first name terms with most teachers and the head – the chair of governors is also one of my neighbours, and I’m fairly sure he isn’t a regular church-goer) I can’t say I’ve ever noticed any hardcore pushing of Christianity on them – the subject of my religion has never cropped up in any conversations I’ve had. Was actually in an RE lesson fixing some computers and learnt some interesting stuff about Islam!

I shouldn’t fret. Your kids will doubtlessly be well educated and probably be more tolerant, respectful and open minded than you! 🙂

Do they know Henry VIII … 🙂

Thanks for the comments folks, good to hear some first hand experiences.

Ernie – people in my family have had a catholic education and it did them a lot of harm. It was an extreme example and I know C of E isn’t exactly hardcore but I have no respect for religion when kids are concerned. And I’m not confusing anything in US with the UK, it’s stuff like ‘our Christian beliefs inform every aspect of the school’ or words to that effect on their websites that concern us as far as lessons are concerned.

Keves – why so angry dude?

Aracer – you’re right, I’m sure practicalities will important than worrying about religion lite!

Trampus – I’m more opened than most – some of my friends are roadies 🙂

Blimey. Do. I get a prize for my longest post ever? Back to mickey mouse club house….

get over it. life is more interesting. stand up for your own ideas/ opinions. get a grip.

You win the prize for most obviously self contradictory post of the week!

Ernie – people in my family have had a catholic education and it did them a lot of harm.

That may well be the case, but their catholic education didn’t come into any subject other than RE, which is what you suggested might happen with your comment “my main concern is that everything will be biased towards a christian point of view and won’t be balanced (especially science)”. English, maths, woodwork, french, biology, etc, our all taught without any religious angle at all in catholic schools. As I said, children who attend catholic schools in the UK sit the same exams as everyone else and are expected to have come to the same conclusion as kids who haven’t.

I have no respect for religion when kids are concerned.

So why the **** are you even considering sending your kid to a C of E school then ? What is the point of this thread ?

I have no respect for religion when kids are concerned.

So why the **** are you even considering sending your kid to a C of E school then ?

Just what I was thinking Ernie.

+1 Ernie ( we agree on something….isn’t there something about moving in mysterious ways?)

Best lines are often the last ones eg Ernie’s and the OP. so children grow up to make their own minds !?!?!?!?!?

My experience of a catholic education was similar to Ernie’s. Don’t get me wrong being brought up in west of scotland certainly brought out problems wrt sectarianism but that wasn’t anything to do with the education that I received in school (leaving asside the whole idea of separate schools). We were taught the same curriculum and sat the same exams as everyone else and whilst there was RE taught, it mostly went in one ear and out the other, except when they were teaching about other religions as that was actually new and interesting.

As far as religion being part of everything in the school, I suspect that they are referring to how the school is run dicipline, tollerance fogiveness that sort of thing. Stuff that any right minded person would likely agree with.

I doubt very much that they will use religion to change what is taught in science although, if you think we come from monkeys you should prbably brush up on evolution.

For full discolsure I am now athiest.

Coming from a slightly different standpoint to the OP, our 5yo started at a CoE school back in September. Myself and HRH are both Christian, so we were not worried about how much religion was emphasised at the school.

As it turns out, so far the ‘religious’ stuff seems to be the songs in assembly and a harvest festival service at the nearby CoE church.

The school certainly doesn’t ‘bible bash’ the kids.

We know non-religious families with kids in higher years and they’re happy with the way the school’s run with respect to all the religious stuff, i.e. they don’t feel the school is forcing something onto their kids.

All of our son’s friends believe in Father Christmas and the Tooth Fairy though, and I’ve heard at least one adamantly claiming that Superman is real (unless he was being deliberately obtuse).

So it seems parents are happy to teach & perpetuate massive lies about where their presents come from and what happens to their teeth, so a few songs about God/Jesus and doing the Christmas/Easter stories seems fair enough.

C of E isn’t a proper religion. In reality its the box marked ‘none of the above’ when asked what religion you are

I’ll echo what others said. I had a catholic education. And what that gives you by the time you’re 16, (as well as a constant aching guilt and a feeling you’ve done something wrong) is a firm belief that all organised religion is utter cobblers.

PRAISE THE LORD!!

The C of E really is pretty harmless.

My older daughter is in her first year at the local C of E secondary school, younger one will go there in 18 months.

Excellent school, just got an “Outstanding” OFSTED report, 10 mins walk away – what’s not to like?

The school is church funded (and regular church attendance for at least 4 years prior is a prerequisite of entry) and, in year 7 at least, there is quite a religious angle underpinning a fair bit of what they do. However, I don’t think it’s intrusive or worrying, and it’s a fair price to pay for my kids getting a very good education for free.

Frankly, if a kid is overly swayed by religious teaching at school I’d say it’s more a reflection of the parenting they’ve received (not aimed at the OP). My kids are level headed and form their own opinions on things – their take on religion (bearing in mind they’ve gone to church for years) is much the same as mine and my wife’s – rather bemusing, interesting from a historical perspective, and just something that’s out there, nothing to get too bothered about.

Of course, you could make a stand and send them to the local sink comp, happy in the knowledge that nobody will be brainwashing your kids….I am a teacher and have done supply in a Catholic school, science is science etc.

Hang ON;This is about 20 posts long and nobody has been along to rant about CoE schools being funded with “our” money to pedal…well whatever religion is accused of pedalling this week.Slow here this morning,isn’t it?

(Tannoy) WOPPIT TO THE FORUM! (tannoy)

That should do it.

I forgot to mention that like others on here I went to a Catholic school. There was definitely a religious slant to the school (in my case, some of the teachers belonged to religious orders), but as mentioned it didn’t really make any difference to the lessons.

our Christian beliefs inform every aspect of the school

I’m sure ours says something like that – I’d argue it’s not at all a bad thing to be taught some morals.

I have no respect for religion when kids are concerned

Well that’s a more fundamentalist position than I’ve ever come across in faith schools…