Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

There should be NO scripture in schools.

20 (83.3%)

There SHOULD be scripture in schools.

4 (16.7%)

Total Members Voted: 24

[Phenolphthalein]

Yep, I have a sibling who does scripture.

Sometimes I wonder if you even read what people say.

Unless your parents have a weird habit of separating their kids into different states for schooling reasons.

[Lexii-]

I was talking to my mum about scripture and she said when she was in primary, they had a psycho scripture teacher that would yell at them and if they continued to muck up, she used to say "Right, get on your knees and I want to hear 20 more Hail Mary's"

Anyone from non-NSW states/territories have little brothers or sisters in primary school who do the scripture thing?

I'm pretty sure that my stepsiblings in QLD do scripture.

[ilikebeeef]

Sometimes I wonder if you even read what people say.

Unless your parents have a weird habit of separating their kids into different states for schooling reasons.

My parents are separated and so am I from my sibling.

[Phenolphthalein]

My parents are separated and so am I from my sibling.

So humour us with the details of your sibling's experience with RE.

[ilikebeeef]

Well I'm pretty sure he has scripture because he goes to a christian school.

[GreenFroggie]

And about the petition thing.

I would probably talk to the other teachers and principal too, just to see whether they think it is a waste of time, don't like it, etc.

And you can also argue that it is a PUBLIC school, and if they want the kiddies to learn religion then they have to do it in their own time, or change to a religious school.

If parents want their kids to learn religion, but still choose a public school then they should teach the kids themselves about it all.

That would free up a lot of time for their kids to actually learn something useful. Like how to read and write.

Maybe thats why half the kiddies coming out of school these days can't even write correct english. Get rid of the un-necessary RE classes in the public schools and they may learn more. (Though I guess RE is considered "learning"  )

[Adi]

Maybe thats why half the kiddies coming out of school these days can't even write correct english. Get rid of the un-necessary RE classes in the public schools and they may learn more. (Though I guess RE is considered "learning"  )

RE classes that teach about other religions are incredibly valuable. If people knew more about Islam etc, they mightn't be so prejudiced. Learn how other people think. I support that being taught absolutely. However, I don't know if just ramming more Christianity down uninterested kiddies' throats is of much value. Teaching one's own religion could easily be left to the family and the church and church groups (such as Sunday school, youth groups and so on). But we simply must teach everyone about the different religions, it would help remove a lot of religious related issues based on pure ignorance.

[Mr. Blonde]

Going to a catholic primary school obviously meant that I learnt a lot about Christianity, but it was always just treated as something else for us to learn - we'd do some maths, some reading, then some religion. The teacher would send for someone to get a box of Bibles from the library and then we'd all read through a passage together and discuss it. It just seemed so normal. I remember that it used to bore me though, even in high school - just reading Bible passages and answering questions about what the moral of the story is and why Jesus did what he did.

Looking back on it, I can't say if I'd prefer to have not learned about it. I've only fairly recently turned my back upon the idea of religion, and I think what made it the hardest was the fact I've gone through school learning about it and being told that it's right, so it seemed like the norm.
But then I feel like it was good to learn about it - it's allowed me to make up my own mind by learning the details, to make an informed decision.
It wasn't until high school that I learnt about other religions.

[.]

And about the petition thing.
I would probably talk to the other teachers and principal too, just to see whether they think it is a waste of time, don't like it, etc.

Well, because it's an actual law, the petition would merely be a step in lobbying government to repeal the law.

As for teachers - it's really difficult because there are a *lot* of bludgy teachers out there who love any time off class. It's probably the one thing I hate most about my job - working with people who don't value the importance of the job. Having said that, I've spoken to a lot of passionate teachers who hate the idea. And as we can see in this thread, I think there'd be a lot of public support to get rid of it.

I just think it falls into the category of "something that stays the same just because it's always been done that way". Nobody thinks about it. But with society wanting teachers to cram more and more into the curriculum, we really need to start trimming the fat a bit.

[WithTheDawn]

I agree that schools should remain secular. They have Sunday schools and things for this sort of stuff, surely? I don't see why it should interfere with the school day.

Moving it from being in regular school time to a church on the weekend does nothing to stop the indoctrination of course. If parents want their kids to believe in some supernatural hopscotch then they will.

Having said that, I think learning ABOUT religion can be fine, and has a part in the school day...just not getting brainwashed into one which you are told is right...leave it for the weekend.

[turkeykiller]

There was RE in my primary school, my parents decided my siblings and I shouldn't do so we played on computers instead. I sat in a few times and the class just learnt bible stories. If they could teach us the fundamentals of the major religions so that kids can understand them without having to become a believer it could be really beneficial to our society.

So, no to scripture, yes to real education on religion.

[Majorie]

Shouldn't be banned, shouldn't be compulsary. As a teacher I am happy for the half hour planning time relief it gives me

[.]

Shouldn't be banned, shouldn't be compulsary. As a teacher I am happy for the half hour planning time relief it gives me

Ahh. You are/are going to be one of *those* teachers. 

You have face to face teaching with your kids from 9-3. Just over an hour of that time is lunchtime.

If you're a NSW teacher (and i'm not sure about conditions elsewhere) you have two hours release from face to face teaching for "planning" each week.

If you were in a regular job, you would be working 9-5, with an hour lunchbreak. You'd have 4 weeks holiday a year. Our conditions as teachers are more than adequate without additional time off during class time (I'd argue that they should even scrap one hour of RFF).

Why the FUCK do you need an extra half hour of "planning time"? What a crock of shit.

But this gets back to my argument that teacher hours should be 8.30am - 5pm, with the kids out the door at 3pm so that teachers get their 2 hours "planning" time after school. And that teachers should be back a week earlier than the kids during all holiday periods.

Oh. And "as a teacher", you should probably learn how to spell "compulsory" 

[Lord Biscuit©]

Amen to that.

[Phenolphthalein]

Are conditions for teachers better/worse/same if you compare state and private schools?