Poll: Is religious education a waste of class time?

david75

An overwhelming yes according to this poll?
what do you folks think?

http://www.thejournal.ie/poll-is-religious-education-a-waste-of-class-time-114538-May2011/?voted=1


THE MINISTER FOR Education Ruairi Quinn has said that religious instruction in the classroom wastes valuable time that ought to be spent improving reading and maths skills.
Quinn said that a recent decline in academic standards, particularly in relation to mathematics and reading, needed to be tackled – and that the 30 minutes of each day that is spent on religious education in primary schools could be done “by parents or parish, perhaps within the school building”.
What do you think: is religious education a waste of class time?

PDN

david75 wrote: »

An overwhelming yes according to this poll?
what do you folks think?

http://www.thejournal.ie/poll-is-religious-education-a-waste-of-class-time-114538-May2011/?voted=1


THE MINISTER FOR Education Ruairi Quinn has said that religious instruction in the classroom wastes valuable time that ought to be spent improving reading and maths skills.
Quinn said that a recent decline in academic standards, particularly in relation to mathematics and reading, needed to be tackled – and that the 30 minutes of each day that is spent on religious education in primary schools could be done “by parents or parish, perhaps within the school building”.
What do you think: is religious education a waste of class time?

Given the fact that the numbers of the major religions are increasing, and the role religion plays today in global politics, then I think religious education is very necessary.

What is a waste of time in schools, and should be handled by parents in time that is not funded by the tax payer, is religious indoctrination.

Fanny Cradock

I think the poll options are phrased badly. For example, one might think that RE is a good thing (a "no" vote, in other words) but not be of the opinion that it is "essential". "No - it's essential" is begging the question. I also don't see a distinction being made between religious education and religious indoctrination, which is pretty much PDN's point. The former involves educating the student about the history and main tenets of particular religions, the latter is instruction with a view to a particular religion being true.

While I don't automatically dismiss the worth of faith schools, I think that they should probably be in the minority. However, given the importance that religion plays in the word, I really don't see how anyone could believe that their child received a full education if they were not taught about one vital aspect of why the world is as it is.

I would love to see more time spent educating kids in things like history, ethics, logic, philosophy, politics and, most certainly, religion. Education should be seen to be more than preparing a student for employment.

Donatello

Good Catholic catechesis is essential for the Catholics. However, the current state of most state 'Catholic' primary schools is terrible. The faith is not taught.

I think God is about to punish the Church for its lukewarmness here, and will take the schools from the Church and hand them over to the state to continue what is already being done in these supposedly 'Catholic' schools.

I welcome anything God throws at the Church in Ireland. We deserve everything we get. The rotten sex abuse scandal is only the tip of the iceberg. The corruption in Maynooth is another scandal. The schools is another. The irreverence of the Blessed Lord in the Eucharist is another. Like I say, we deserve everything we get.

Meanwhile, I would, personally speaking, keep a number of schools in RC control, make them orthodox and dynamic, and hand the others to the state to do what they want. The lukewarm, wishy washy 'Catholic Lite' that is taught in most Catholic schools is a scandal. It is time they taught the kids the Catechism of the Catholic Church instead of all the secular, humanistic nonsense they pretend is Catholic faith.

(I should point out, however, that the Church, as the Bride of Christ, is without spot or imperfection, but the sins of Her members are betrayals of the same Church. The Church is not without sinners, but is without sin. This is just a point to make in light of what I just said. Read here for more comments on that topic, which is NOT the subject of this thread.)

AhSureTisGrand

Donatello wrote: »

We deserve everything we get.

You sir are a true Catholic :pac:

lmaopml

Obviously on the 'Christianity forum' where you chose to put one of many 'polls' worded carefully (sounds rude )

I think that religious eduction is not a 'waste' of time in school, we spend fourteen odd years there before we graduate at leaving cert level, 'FOURTEEN YEARS, I really don't think that the time spent on religious edu is what is holding students back tbh - Now ask me if we have an increasingly dumbed down system of evaluation and marking? and I would say you hit jackpot with our 'problems'...

I'd say that the 'poll' is very simplistic really..I wouldn't hold out much hope for it solving our problems, cause it doesn't go near identifying them...

Donatello

Interesting article on the state of catechesis in Irish schools.

http://www.brandsmareview.net/brans84.html#2

You might have to scroll up or down to find the article on that page.

homer911

A knowledge of non-Christian faiths is essential, even for Christians

Slav

david75 wrote: »

What do you think: is religious education a waste of class time?

My kid in 6th at a RC school. I looks like this time of the year they do nothing but preparing for Confirmation. Almost the whole school term is sacrificed to this great event.

However once your survived the big two of a Catholic school, First Communion and Confirmation, the rest of religious education is rather beneficial at least from the cultural perspective.

himnextdoor

Poll: Is religious education a waste of class time?

No, it's not. In that R.E. meets its remit, no. Is it a waste of an opportunity for education? Yes.

In general I would define the education system as a government-sanctioned creche. It is not in the business of education, it is in the business of ensuring that the vast majority of our children conform to the rigours of society and become regular tax-payers.

Religion should be taught as History and Culture and Jesus' message should be evident in society. 'We believe' is one thing but 'it is the case that' is another thing entirely.

As far as the necessity to accept the teaching of the gospel, I believe that if we teach our children respect and demonstrate goodness by example they will be 'programmed' to behave in a similar way.

It seems to me that to perform good deeds on a daily basis with the will in the heart to make the world a better place would be to live according to the Gospel. It would be obvious that such a person is 'doing God's will'. We don't have to teach the Gospel in order to live by it. We don't have to be taught about God in order to know God. To 'do' good is to know God.

I mean, God would hardly express Himself through you and then punish you for not knowing His name, would He?

the culture of deference

Religion education is a waste of time, a 5 year old child should not be subjected to ancient fantasy under the pretence that it is a real subject.

In 2011 in Ireland children are obeying lent, why should they even need to know about this, leave them alone until they can make their own minds up.

JimiTime

It seems that anything to do with religion these days gets blown out of proportion. Non-catholic here, and no, religion class in my RC school was definitely not a waste of time. Firstly, it was usually a welcome half hour break from maths etc. In primary school, we got told stories of 'the missions', learned about the Book of Kells etc. Of course, we were also told biblical stories. In secondary school, it became more of a philosophical type of class. Lots of debate etc. Its certainly a waste of time, if anything beyond leaving cert academia is deemed as such. I happened to think that religious educatation though, was far more engaging and progressive in its delivery than most of the other subjects (My experience anyway). Most of my class did not give a toss about Christianity etc, but even the messers etc were engaged in the classes. 'Indoctrination' (in the negative sense its usually used around here) me hole. And to reiterate, I'm NOT a Roman Catholic.

himnextdoor

JimiTime wrote: »

And to reiterate, I'm NOT a Roman Catholic.

You were being taught Catholicism but you're not a Catholic?

It was a waste of time then.

expectationlost

did he use the word waste or was the indo maliciously paraphrasing?

himnextdoor

expectationlost wrote: »

did he use the word waste or was the indo maliciously paraphrasing?

It didn't achieve its goal so in that respect it was a waste of time.

Is that what you meant?

JimiTime

himnextdoor wrote: »

You are a legend Jimitime. I think your posts are so insightful.

Well thank you himnextdoor.

himnextdoor

JimiTime wrote: »

Well thank you himnextdoor.

LMAO.

You're welcome.