yr 1 religious education confusing dd

[justallovertheplace]

I hope this is in the right section. My dd is 5 and in year one. They have been learning about Easter since last week and from what I can gather a teacher who is not their class teacher has been coming in to talk to them.
Last week we were talking about dd's pet hamster who died a while ago and she said 'well Jesus came alive again so maybe George will too.'
This didn't bother me so much, but today she came home and asked if I had been christened, which I have, and then if she had, which she hasn't. She then said 'you'll go to a different place when you're dead then, not with me.'
I understand that at 5 these are big concepts and maybe she has not fully understood what the teacher is saying, but I have to admit that I am not comfortable at all with the way this seems to be being taught. It's not a church school, where I would expect a bit of this.
Would I be overreacting massively to speak to the teacher about this tomorrow? I don't want my dd being told these things as fact, if it's not being made clear that this is what some people believe.

[thisisyesterday]

hmm i came on ready to say "get over it" lol, but actually i think you have a valid concern.

it's all well and good talking about Easter, and the religion behind it.

it is NOT ok to tell 5 year olds in a non-church school that if you aren't christened you'll go to hell

[hobbgoblin]

I think schools, in general, make a very poor job of the 'some people believe' aspect of their religious teachings.

My DC are now older and I've got over it but I used to get uppity about the way religion is taught. Still do around Easter and Xmas but there is little I can do so I quietly simmer.

Personally don't think religion should be taught in school at all as it is impossible to represent every faith in any kind of meaningful way and time and time again Christianity is covered in great depth and with a sense that all its teachings are the final word on everything.

[mrz]

I can't think of any possible scenario where it would be appropriate to tell a child that they need to have been baptised to go to heaven

[mrz]

I obviously didn't do the whole Easter story too effectively as I overheard one of my class say -"Don't worry it's just as fairy story"...

[justallovertheplace]

I'm not sure hell was mentioned. I bloody hope not . But when I asked where I would go she pointed upwards, when I asked where she would be she said 'another place' Glad I'm not overreacting, the more I think about it the more it concerns me just who this teacher is and what she is saying to them

[thisisyesterday]

actually, thinkina bout this more, it isn't even a christian thing either is it? because some christians don't have christenings, they have dedications, and only adults are baptised.

so they aren't even presenting Christianity as fact, they're presenting one form of Christianity as fact

I don't think it would be at all unreasonable to talk to the teacher about it.

I know that my friends who ahve children at a non-church schools haven't really talked about religion at all, even with Easter approaching. they've just done the regular easter bunny, easter bonnet crap.

ds1 goes to a church school and even he hasn't come home yet talking about the Easter story! and i'd be shocked if he said anyhting about needing to be christened

[webwiz]

Sorry this has just reminded me of DS's old infant school - the retired head teacher used to sometimes come in to take assembly usually with Winnie the Pooh to illustrate the point he wanted to make. I happened to be in helping on the day he put Winnie the Pooh to death on the cross in front of a hall full of horrified 4 to 7 year olds. I think the Head vetted all his assemblies after that!

Back to the OP, I agree with mrz I can't see why the teacher had to bring the baptism element in.

[JJ6]

I obviously didn't do the whole Easter story too effectively as I overheard one of my class say -"Don't worry it's just as fairy story"...

This was obviously my daughter as that is what i tell her 'bible stories' are - just stories...........

[MumNWLondon]

My DD is at a faith school where I fully expect full on religious indoctrination but I am totally in that this sort of conversation could happen in a non faith school, unless preceded by "some people believe" etc

I think this sort of conversation would perhaps be acceptible at a church school where baptism was one of the requirements for admission (ie the teacher could be confident that every child was baptised), but totally totally inappropriate where some of the children might not be christians at all...

[munstersmum]

I have DS in year 1 and religion has been a bit of a theme this term though it is a non-church school. Things he has said:

Bad men wanted Jesus dead so they put him on the Red Cross.

The best thing he liked from a visit to a synagogue was looking at the bible it has the story of Jesus.

Jesus came back to life after 3 days. I could too. (Having being warned off re electricity.)

Fear he is deeply confused. Have resorted to telling him different people like different religious stories.