🙂

Sensationalist bollocks. Just move the bloody exams to give everyone a fair chance. People have a right to observe their beliefs. Not the end of the world is it?

Exams could be scheduled for the morning when children and relatively well resed and have just eaten ?

Its just not possible to only have morning exams. Its logistically impossible – without doubling the length of time you test for. There are always exams am and PM

Jesus would be fizzing at the clopper

A boy once threw up on me during an exam after eating too many chocolate sweeties – I say they should all be on Ramadam.

Its just not possible to only have morning exams. Its logistically impossible – without doubling the length of time you test for. There are always exams am and PM

But relatively easy to do this for core exams, where a large number of students will be affected, which is what has been done.

Just give everyone an A*, it’s not rocket science.

Well, absurd as it may be, we are – the head of state is also the head of the church (AIUI)

Either the big sky fairy thing did it or they did not. Science has no place at all for a god in its explanations and religion only has a place for god in its explanation.

A mate of mine once said he had more respect for extremists than the rest of the religious populous. At least the extremists take it all and do something with it as opposed to the rest who pick and choose what they want to believe. If you’re going to believe it, do it properly.

Well, absurd as it may be, we are – the head of state is also the head of the church (AIUI)

Thank the lord, it’s only an English problem.

A mate of mine once said he had more respect for extremists than the rest of the religious populous. At least the extremists take it all and do something with it as opposed to the rest who pick and choose what they want to believe. If you’re going to believe it, do it properly.

Your mate sounds awesome. Where did he get his PhD from? Oxford or Cambridge?

London olympics weren’t moved to accomodate ramadam.

The entire exam window isn’t being moved, just some relatively minor changes.

Exactly a non-story. Capuccino time….?

Badnewz, nails it.

badnews. No such thing as a PhD from Oxford. Snide remark fail.

Just give everyone an A*, it’s not rocket science.

Ok, but a B- for rocket science, obviously.

It would appear that most are in agreement that fasting has a negative impact on peoples abilities and many agree that exams should be scheduled to take this into account. With that in mind, what about all the adults that will be fasting for a month when the days are almost at the longest?
Fasting Surgeons, Train drivers, Air Traffic Controllers etc. If their kids can’t concentrate well enough to do exams should the adults be doing their jobs?
If Islam is a global religion then its leaders need to help the faithful in their every day lives by following day light hours at Mecca when it comes to fasting.

Each school is required by law to undertake a daily act of collective worship of a broadly Christian nature

Whilst this is a real law, bought in during the 80’s by the Tories I think, no school I have worked in does this.

Its only christians who are free to choose

You’ve clearly not met many Catholic priests.

If Islam is a global religion then its leaders need to help the faithful in their every day lives by following day light hours at Mecca when it comes to fasting.

The fast is not meant to be easy its meant to remind them of the sufferings of others and bring them closer to god.

Each school is required by law to undertake a daily act of collective worship of a broadly Christian nature

Whilst this is a real law, bought in during the 80’s by the Tories I think, no school I have worked in does this.[/quote]

It predates the 80s:

The most recent legal statement of the requirements for collective worship (as distinct from assembly) are contained in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. These build on similar requirements in Section 346 of the Education Act 1996, the Education Reform Act 1988, and Section 25 of the 1944 Education Act, where the law on compulsory collective worship began. Section 70 of the 1998 Act states that, subject to the parental right of excusal or other special arrangements, “…each pupil in attendance at a community, foundation or voluntary school shall on each school day take part in an act of collective worship.” – https://humanism.org.uk/education/parents/collective-worship-and-school-assemblies-your-rights/

According to this 1992/3 Ofsted report, most primaries met the requirement, but few secondaries did.

**** hell 1992/3. I had only just left school!! Thats some up to date data!!

2015 Ofsted inspection framework (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/458866/School_inspection_handbook_section_5_from_September_2015.pdf), page 71.

Linky not worky. Are you trying to suggest all the schools I’ve worked in have been doing their quick pray everytime I turn my back?

It’s still mentioned in the 2015 Ofsted inspection framework (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/458866/School_inspection_handbook_section_5_from_September_2015.pdf , page 71) but this letter states

The law on Collective Worship is largely unenforced. In 2004, Ofsted stopped asking its inspectors to consider it, citing at the time that 76% of secondary schools were noncompliant with the law: either not having worship every day, or in some cases, not having worship at all. A ComRes survey, commissioned by the BBC and published in July 2011 found that only 28% of school pupils in England took part in daily collective worship.

which would explain why your workplaces haven’t done it.

It is a totally pointless law.

dragon – Member

From 2011 census:

We’ve done this a few times before, but I like the subject so why not. It’s a leading question- “What is your religion”. The census people accept that but have kept it the same as previous censuses in order to retain the value for trend analysis- changing the question to get a more meaningful answer would make it impossible to compare with previous years.

The fun part is when you break the statistic down and see what it really means to answer that question with “Yes, I’m Christian”. The Humanist Society did another poll and asking the same question and got 61% yes, but then removed the lead and asked “Are you religious”- only 29% of those said yes. So you have 43% of the population being religiously irreligious, or possibly irreligiously religious. Less than half of those that identified as Christian said they believed in Christ, which I think makes them ians really.

Another survey created similiar results- 70% responded positively to “what is your religion” but then only 25% of people said they believed in god.

So basically, the data supports the idea that the UK is a christian country as long as you don’t think believing in Christ and God are important in Christianity. But then, this is a cycling forum where nobody ever rides bikes so maybe.

Fixed link (PDF)

Some relevant selected quotes from the link:

Schools with a religious character

..If a voluntary or foundation school is designated as having a denominational religious character (‘a school with a religious character’), then denominational religious education, the school ethos an
d the content of collective worship are inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005..

Schools without a religious character

..The RE curriculum should reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Britain are, in the main, Christian while taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Britain…

..Academies without a defined religious character must provide collective worship that is ‘wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian
character’…

..Alternatively, the family backgrounds of some or all pupils may
lead the headteacher and governing body to conclude that broadly Christian collective worship is not appropriate. The headteacher can apply to the local Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) to have the broadly Christian requirement disapplied and replaced by collective worship distinctive to another faith…

Fasting was pretty common during Lent for Catholics when I was growing up, even for kids.

Reminding yourself that many people in the world don’t have enough to eat is no bad thing.

Most of my Muslim colleagues have no issue at all with breaking fast if they think it will impair their ability to care for others or themselves.

It must be the will of Allah that Muslim kids do badly in their exams.

It must be the will of Allah that Muslim kids do badly in their exams.

The exams have been moved, so it must not be Allah’s will.

Then it must have been Allah’s will that the exams be moved.
If anyone needs any more expert insight, just ask away.

To be clear, I really don’t care what time any children will be taking their exams.

If they are moved to help pupils disadvantaged by fasting then fair enough.

Still think the whole Ramadan fasting thing for children is not a good thing, especially as Islam allows exceptions to the fast for a variety of reasons.

What I don’t understand is the uber atheists calling racist when Islam is questioned but kick Christianity in the nuts and they come running like a bunch of wolves to join in. I am not talking about this thread in particular but the usual suspects on a numerous threads.

BTW I am not religious.

I am not talking about this thread in particular but the usual suspects on a numerous threads.

Maybe you should have posted in the thread where you thought it was happening?

What I don’t understand is the uber atheists calling racist when Islam is questioned but kick Christianity in the nuts and they come running like a bunch of wolves to join in. I am not talking about this thread in particular but the usual suspects on a numerous threads.

There is often a general ‘racisty’ undertone to much criticism of Islam.

For the record, I think Islam is as incorrect as Christianity but I respect the rights of individuals to choose their religion.

There is an issue of whether 15/16-year-olds are choosing to fast, which could and should be open to discussion, but that’s probably a longer term issue and isn’t going to be much help to those taking exams in 5 months time.

Be more specific.

I’m against fundamentalist tossery of any stripe and have said so on many occasions.

If people are being hypocritical in defending Islam whilst decrying the same attitudes expressed by other religions then highlight it.

No one will mind.

What I don’t understand is the uber atheists calling racist when Islam is questioned but kick Christianity in the nuts and they come running like a bunch of wolves to join in. I am not talking about this thread in particular but the usual suspects on a numerous threads.

I wonder if the way you post the question helps explain why you dont understand?

gobuchul That’s a rather defensive strawman argument. Show me where people have been called racist in this thread. And to do so would show a poor understanding of Race, which is not the same as Religion.

There are some – including perhaps the OP – who might be accused of being inconsiderate of others views, or narrow minded, or full of complacent assumptions based on a sense of Christian Entitilement,but that isn’t racism.

If it doesn’t do harm to the majority, why shouldn’t helping the performace of the minority by making small changes like this be done? That’s politeness… no? or even Christian Charity? 😉

What I don’t understand is the uber atheists calling racist when Islam is questioned but kick Christianity in the nuts and they come running like a bunch of wolves to join in. I am not talking about this thread in particular but the usual suspects on a numerous threads.

What mike said basically ^

Perhaps atheists have the dispassionate cold perspective of people who think both religions are wrong, so they feel well positioned to call out what they might see as entitlement and hypocrisy, that members of the faiths may not see from their positions?

(Or maybe the godless heathens are just bitter and resentful)

Possibly what Gobuchul is alluding to is that the majority of posters criticising the op would seem to be atheist in leaning, and against any form of christianity taught in schools, but support the moving of exams to aid those strictly following another religion.
Having been educated at a Catholic school in the 80’s that was run by nuns, priests, and had it’s own weekly mass and confessional (try telling the man who is about to teach you history that you have had wicked thoughts about the needlework teacher Miss Vickers) 😀 i am against any form of religious influence in our education system, plus children fasting.

langylad – Member
Possibly what Gobuchul is alluding to is that the majority of posters criticising the op would seem to be atheist in leaning, and against any form of christianity taught in schools.

Just Christianity?

but support the moving of exams to aid those strictly following another religion.

We can’t stop people believing what they like, even if we don’t agree with it.
We CAN stop their children being penalised as a result.

the majority of posters criticising the op would seem to be atheist in leaning, and against any form of christianity taught in schools, but support the moving of exams to aid those strictly following another religion.

I

one can dislike religion and still do somethign practical so that its adherents, daft as they are, are not harmed

It not like they are making us all do ramadan like the christians make us pray.

I am happy to be tolerant/make allowances I am not happy to be compelled to join in,