Non-believers' view to be included in RE lessons
PUPILS will be taught a secular viewpoint as part of their religious education classes when they return to school in September.
Cheshire East Council has approved an updated syllabus for RE which will be taught in non-faith schools across the borough.
But some councillors have expressed concern about including the secular stance alongside teaching about Christianity and other religions, saying it will decrease the amount of time available for the actual 'religious' part of the course.
Children will learn about Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism and now the secular view. Another religion can also be taught if it is prominent locally.
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Councillor Louise Brown believes Christianity is being sidelined.
She said: "One of the concerns I have with this is that there's limited time available and it will be further diluted if we start adding the secular world view.
"There's no legal obligation to teach a secular view."
The syllabus was created after discussions with religious leaders and teachers. It outlines what should be learned, but not how it is taught.
Councillor Steve Wilkinson supports the new syllabus. He said: "Religious education does allow schools and teachers to challenge the learners, not to convince them that one religion is better than another."
Each local authority sets its own religious education syllabus, but is guided by national principles which require "the syllabus reflects that the religious traditions of Great Britain are in the main Christian, while taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain."
Councillor Rhoda Bailey was keen for more study of the Bible to be included in the syllabus.
She said: "The King James Bible must rank as one of the greatest English literature books of all time, but we don't teach it in schools.
"It also gives a background to the work of the great masters. Youngsters don't know the Bible stories the works are depicting. If you want to know about art, music and history, all have a basis in the Bible.
"A little Bible study goes a long way."
Councillor Hilda Gaddum said many famous phrases also came from the Bible, which were important for people to know.
She said: "I'm saddened we can't go down a more pro-Christian route, but we must follow the guidelines."
What do you think?
Comments
by cambridge123
Monday, August 08 2011, 10:59PM
“Anyone who is over six years of age who believes in an invisible person who lives in the sky is mentally unbalanced.”
by Goacher
Friday, August 05 2011, 12:01AM
“RE should be a choice not compulsory, but they are afraid that class attendance would be very low, probably two if they were lucky. It is about time fairy stories were not rammed down the throats of the gullible young, and they were allowed to make up their own minds about what they wish to believe in.”
by stevenweiss
Thursday, August 04 2011, 8:49PM
“Sorry, my mistake. I assumed that the news on 'this is staffordshire' would actually be about Staffordshire. I doubt much of Cheshire is Muslim.”
by Selrism
Thursday, August 04 2011, 4:48PM
“Finally! Seclurasism in School!
One hour you spend listening to your pyscics teacher telling you the Earth is 4 billion years old, then after lunch, your RE teacher will spend an hour telling you the Earth is 10,000 years old.
Common sense will prevail, given the chance. Hopefully this is it.”
by ObidiahFudge
Thursday, August 04 2011, 4:28PM
“AndyG48, do you believe in life from non life? They had this belief in the middle ages with piles of dirty clothes! Ever heard of Louis Pasteur? Believers in evolution and spontaneous generation are just as religious.
Perhaps you should study communism for the death toll of religious believers slaughtered in the false belief that religion is the root of all evil.”
by ObidiahFudge
Thursday, August 04 2011, 4:24PM
“Unicornjones, an expanding universe is not neccessarily evidence of a big bang. For a scientific theory to be valid, it has to be observable and repeatable - the big bang is not. It could also be expanding after creation.
Life does not come from non life. It has never happened in the lab, it's fine to believe that it happened in the past, but that isn't science.
Have you ever witnessed nothing at all explode into a universe with physical laws? Doubt it. You believe in big bangs from watching tv programmes - perhaps you should read a few science books.
BTW walking with dinosaurs isn't real, it's done with CGI”
by AndyG48
Wednesday, August 03 2011, 11:06PM
“What's up God Botherers. Scared you won't recruit new believers from the gullible young if you start to teach kids to think for themselves!”
by Darrion
Wednesday, August 03 2011, 10:03PM
“Religion is taught as a fixed doctrine whereas science is ever changing. The Big Bang is seen by many as outdated because of observations which indicate irregular expansion took place. The LHC experiments may lead to a complete re write of the standard model. Always something new. Every day is a new day. Every day is a creation day.”
by UnicornJones
Wednesday, August 03 2011, 9:02PM
“PS 'The Code' in on BBC2 now... watch and learn a thing or two about science and your 'physical laws'! Not that you'd understand any of it...”
by UnicornJones
Wednesday, August 03 2011, 8:54PM
“@ObidiahFudge give me a break! Are you for real!
The big bang is a theory based on the knowledge of the fact that the universe is expanding. everything in your post smacks of denial and simple-mindedness... go read some books, rather than just the Bible.
On the point of religion: We live in a Christian country apparently. They would have me believe that my Nan got cancer because some malevolent, deranged invisible man in the sky, required her to atone for the original sin... The sin that a man, 6,000 years ago supposedly ate an apple off the wrong tree. The christian explanation for cancer. And you talk about BS. If that is God, I hate him, and am delighted to hate him back!”