How do they teach religion at your chidren's state school?

[mrsmac]

Most schools only have scripture which is taught by outsiders once a week. Usually they have Catholic and protestant but different schools may ahve others as well, our school has Bahai, and another school had a jewish class- it depends on the school and their different needs and availiability of someone to teach.
My DD in Year 3 is studying people and their beliefs so they are learning about all the major religions as part of HSIE (Social studies)
Basically, public schools don't teach religion as such.

[Pandora]

i didnt realise government schools had any sort of RE.
If I chose to send DS to a state school he would not go to RE clases unless it covered different religions, not just one - if I wanted that I'd send him to a religios school.

[Bathsheba]

Hi, I know you specified public schools but I thought I'd mention that even if you send your child to a private school of a particular denomination they still may teach about all religions. My DD has attended 2 Anglican schools and both have taught about all the world's major religions. I think this is great We attend a Uniting Church (Christian) on Sundays and even there the minister teaches a little about other religions... he tells the congregation about significant religious days for Jewish, Buddist faiths each on a regular basis. I think this is really important. It really fosters tolerance and understanding.

[Heaven]

I went to an Anglican Private school. We had prayer in homeroom and prayers and hymns during assembly but in religion class we learnt about all the major religions of the world.

[Bathsheba]

That sounds similar to what my DD has SJ. I think it's great. When I was a child in the 1970's public schools where I lived still taught some prayers like the Lord's Prayer (Our Father who art in Heaven...) and a little prayer of grace said before eating (Thank you God for the food we eat...) I still remember them to this day. Things you learn as a child really stick hey? In times of stress I sometimes say the Lord's Prayer to myself... it helps to calm me down. I hope that my children will learn a few off by heart too.

[Heaven]

I really liked it too. And I'm like you, still remember them by heart. I often say the lords prayer.

[Tam78]

I'm a trained Primary teacher although now a SAHM, Most of the state schools I taught in had RE and it was always run by local churches, most were christian but others were JW's or muslims I think it depends on the churches in the area and whether they consider it an important thing to give their time to.