My daughter goes to a Church of England Junior school. Until last year, there was virtually no 'pushing' of religion at the children.
However, the children are now required to pray three times a day: when they get to school, before dinner and before leaving school in the afternoon.
Any child seen not putting their hands together, bowing their heads, repeating the words, and keeping their eyes closed is 'punished' by having to sit on the 'naughty chair' for five minutes.
On Ash Wednesday, the local Vicar came and gave a service and made the mark of the cross on the foreheads of all of the children!
I must admit I had not realised that the school had gone so wacky!
I have looked into moving schools but have been told by the local authority that this is the school for our catchment area and we cannot move to another school. I do not want to start making my child feel 'different' in the way JW children and the Muslim and Hindu children do, in that they have to stand outside the class and what to teach her, even though she is only 7, the tricks of 'mental freedom'! In that she can think what ever she wants in her own mind when this is going on and does not have to believe as the others are forced to.
She is unhappy about all the praying, and she was very unhappy about having the sign of the cross made on her forehead by the vicar, but they were not allowed to refuse.
So! What do you think? Any suggestions? As a family unit we are very unhappy at this turn of events at school this year! We are slightly paralysed by our JW past as in exactly what action to take as in the past we kept the kids 'out of things' because we were JW....now we have NO religious objection, just an objection to religion!!!