God in schools

[Pat Mustard]

URGH, I fucking hope not.

We had to sing hymns everyday in my Primary School (For non uk People, Age 4 - 11) as well as saying the lords prayer afterwards, and a visit from the local Vicar on a Friday to tell us a story of some description. It sucked big time and had no ramification on the work we did/what we learned [Other than religion is a pain in the ass, literally as we'd have to sit on a hard wooden floor during all this] in terms of education.

The worst part was I was an Atheist, and would tell these people I didn't believe in God, yet I was made to do it. But a friend of mine was a Jehovah's Witness, and was free to be excused during the assembly.....which was bullshit.

I'm not sure if schools/high schools in the UK do this anymore (my high school didn't, thank fuck) or what the deal is in other countries but if anything it just cuts time out of the day to do all this shit. Why waste an hour singing about something fictional, then praying when you're at school to learn stuff? It's backwards.

It's worse over here. In the 96% of the rcc controlled (but 100% state funded) Irish primary schools 2 years out of the eight is, by decree of the department, devoted to catholic "faith formation". 1/2 an hour of every day is devoted to teaching rcc theology plus a month each in first and fifth/sixth class for communion and confirmation preparation. And that's a minimum, if you've a holy roller for teacher they'll be using the Alive-O books to teach the other subjects through the lens of rcc dogma. And then you've the local parish priest as the church's nominee for patron given free reign of the school and chair of the board of management.

All the teacher training colleges are in the hold of the church as well, apart from one which is church of Ireland.