'I shall never believe what teacher says, ever again!' said a tearful little boy after his first day at school. 'She said 'Sit here for the present, and I never got one!'. '
Well, you never know how much of what teacher says is accepted by a pupil. My granddaughter followed her teacher's ideas of vegetarianism, until she smelled sausages frying!
Moral teaching (or right and wrong)
Until recent times we relied on our schools to give sound moral teaching, in line with the views of Church and Parliament, which were strongly Bible-based. Not any more. It is not that schools have opted out from questions of right and wrong behaviour, but that they no longer accept biblical teaching as the plumbline against which to test moral values. More than that, there is a great reluctance to make any clear statement on personal behaviour except in the most obvious cases of extreme violence, racism, or gender issues.
Pupils do not lack time to consider such matters. Indeed, structured programmes of PSD (Personal & Social Development) are now required in all senior schools. There are many and varied programmes of study, most of which give pupils the opportunity to examine their own opinions and those of their friends. Any conclusions drawn will not be guided by biblical principles unless the teacher is a strongly-motivated Christian.
A further effect is that some issues which used to be a natural part of the Religious Education syllabus, are now taken on by those who are often agnostics, occasionally atheists, and sometimes simply anti-Christian.
In fairness, most schools and teachers are greatly concerned about the moral welfare of our children. Most teachers see their work as a vocation, not just an earner. They really want the upcoming generation to adopt a safe and satisfying lifestyle. They want their pupils to learn how to live well, but we cannot expect them to inculcate ideals that they do not themselves hold.
There are particular areas of behaviour where the Christian parent cannot leave the teaching to schools, friends or the TV, for example, marriage, personal relationships, gambling, the use of alcohol, language and especially use of the Lord's name.
It is our duty to supplement and sometimes override the teaching of the school. Occasionally we should let the schools know the way in which we, as caring parents, expect them to lead our children.
Morning worship
'...and lead us not into Thames station...' Every Sunday School teacher will be familiar with innocent misquotes of scripture. School teachers have an even larger store of mangled phrases, cheeky rhymes and irreverent sayings collected in morning assembly. They are an amusing side-effect of the holding of the legally required daily act of worship in all schools.
It is with mixed feeling that headteachers try to fulfil the law in a meaningful way. Let's face it, you cannot compel someone to revere God. You can only put them into a situation where they have the opportunity.
There are many in education who hope that children will accept Christian standards, but who ardently believe that religion should not be enforced. It could be pointed out that Britain is nominally and by statute a Christian country, but it is equally true that less than 20% of families are active in church life. Only 2% of the population regularly worship in church. Is it realistic to expect children to pray in school?
Think also of the responsibility of conducting assembly. This falls, ultimately, upon the headteacher, who may be a convinced Christian, but equally may not. He or she relies greatly upon the willingness and ability of other staff who have the right to opt out under the conscience clause. Many now do so.
From time to time a school will apply to the authorities to hold worship in other religions, for example in Hinduism or Islam. Permission is usually granted if the school has a large proportion of pupils from such faith communities. Does this make a nonsense of the law? It surely weakens the claim that we are maintaining Christian traditions.
How do schools cope with this? At worst, assemblies are held as seldom as possible, have little or no Christian content, never refer to the Bible, and are a mixture of folk fable and pupil performances with little meaning. At best they are sincerely led in an interesting and meaningful way.
This is where the local church has an opportunity. Schools are becoming more open to visitors taking an 'assembly'. However, it is no easy task to face scores or maybe hundreds of strangers, and in a short time, bring an awareness of God, an understanding of faith and a willingness to consider vital truths. Establishing a rapport with pupils and staff and building up credibility while, at the same time, stating challenging facts, takes much thoughtful preparation and a certain amount of courage.
It is a considerable challenge, but one that needs meeting.
What to tell the children?
'I don't want to be a vicar or a nun, so why do I have to learn about religion?' Young people concerned about preparations for a career might well wish to discard a subject for which they see no practical use. Others object that it is religion which has caused divisions in society and therefore should be avoided. Some can see no relevance in a system of belief which, to them, is founded upon unprovable theories.
In this matter Britain stands almost alone in insisting on a thorough religious content in lessons. In some European countries and the US it is actually banned by law.
Parents often state what they think should be taught. 'Make sure they know their times tables, I say!' 'Give 'em some Shakespeare'. 'We used to learn the Bible. It was the only book we had for religion'. 'You shouldn't cram religion down their throats'. 'Let them make up their own minds when they are old enough'.
For about three years a committee of the Derbyshire SACRE met to prepare a new Syllabus for Religious Education in the county. When it was finally ready, after much consultation with interested parties, it stated that, 'RE is a means of stimulating an awareness of the significance of religion . . . bringing about a deeper understanding of the faiths by which people live and enhancing the search for a faith'. This could be interpreted in many ways, so further guidance on method and content was given.
The RE teacher, then, has much advice as to the format of his lessons. With the growth in numbers of the followers of non-Christian religions, it would be foolish to act as if Islam, for instance, did not exist. Christian parents may well feel that, either other faiths should not be taught, or that they should be clearly shown as being inferior to Christianity, if not downright evil! County Hall, however, insists that there shall be no such discrimination in the classroom. 'Equal opportunities' has a high profile these days.
Most schools try to give a balanced programme which includes other religions practised in Britain, although it should be noted that the official line is that a major part of the syllabus should concentrate on Christian traditions including biblical studies, church life and the main tenets of the faith.
Parents have the right to withdraw their children from such lessons if they believe that they are inappropriate or an unwelcome influence. Most agree that children need to have an understanding of the motivations and traditions of other faith communities, such as Sikhism. Not only that, but, as responsible citizens they need to have a respect for and a toleration of those with a different background to their own.
To those who fear that they may be attracted away from the principles of their own upbringing it should be pointed out that this seldom occurs. Christianity stands up well in comparison with other faiths in general acceptability. More dangerous are the pressures from their classmates and teachers who may try to persuade them that modern theory has disproved biblical claims, or that personal behaviour can no longer be regulated by standards rooted in the past.
Vital roles
Once again the roles of family and church are shown to be vital: firstly, in the responsibility of bringing their own children to a clear understanding of biblical truth and expected behaviour, leading by teaching and example, and secondly to monitor the provision of RE in the local school. Is it balanced and fair? Does Christianity hold its rightful place? Are children encouraged in faith and morality? These questions need to be firmly asked.
We cannot expect the schools to bear the responsibility for the faith teaching of our children, but we can support Christian teachers, encourage Christian groups in school and check on the teaching which is given. Neither society generally, nor governing bodies in particular can be expected to sponsor evangelism in schools, but there are opportunities for the local church to be involved: sharing lessons, conducting assemblies, putting books into libraries and, of course, by praying.
Don Cole teaches Religious Education in the Humanities Department of Tupton Hall School, Derbyshire, and is a deacon at Holmgate Evangelical Church, Clay Cross.
