What do you think about this - have a look at the Guidelines...
Source: http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/News/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=enonline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED09%20Apr%202005%2014%3A37%3A59%3A407
RE plans are ridiculous, say union
LEWIS HANNAM
09 April 2005 14:37
Moves to axe biblical terms like the Holy Ghost and the Old Testament from religious lessons at Norfolk schools were today branded daft.
Dropping the traditional names and words from classes forms part of a special list of dos and don'ts set to be given to teachers to stop them from offending or confusing students.
Teachers will also be advised to only take their pupils to churches when they are full for fear empty buildings make Christianity seem irrelevant.
The new guidance for teaching religion in school has been revealed in draft documents to go before Norfolk County Council's cabinet for approval next week.
It forms part of the new Norfolk Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education, a comprehensive document outlining religious learning in the county's schools.
Well-known terms such as the Wailing Wall have also been earmarked for the chop for fear they create the wrong impression.
Tony Mulgrew, Norfolk secretary for the National Union of Teachers, said: I just think it's a bit daft to suddenly change the name of the Old Testament. They shouldn't be messing about with the names of things. It's modernism gone mad. It does seem to be a bit daft.
The list itself does not just refer to Christianity, it also offers advice on how to handle Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam in the classroom.
Nick Seaton, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, a pressure group for higher standards and greater parental choice in education, said: We come across other examples of changing language to make it politically correct, but this is the first one I have heard of in RE classes.
I think most people will think it's ridiculous. It's just another example of political correctness interfering with the education system.
The county's religious syllabus was last reworked in 1997; schools currently average one hour of the classes a week.
Many world religions are taught in Norfolk's schools, although the vast majority of lessons are based around Christianity.
Marian Agombar, chair of the Agreed Syllabus Conference, which drew up the list after seeking information from other local authorities in the UK, said: It's just a useful thing to help teachers prevent making mistakes. You can quite inadvertently say the wrong thing.
It really is just a way of creating good practice. It's support material for the teachers in the classroom.
She stressed that teachers would not be forced to follow guidelines.
Philip May, head teacher at Costessey High School, said: If a few words are no longer easily accessible to younger people, I would rather lose the words than those people.
He said decisions on the content of the religious syllabus were only taken after wide-reaching discussion, and he was sure the guidance would be of use.
Each school in the county will be given one copy of the syllabus; while it will be available to teachers on line.
Hereward Cooke, a clergyman and city councillor, said: It isn't an easy subject in this modern age to teach several religions to young people. It's important that this report gives guidance to teachers who can, or not, choose to use it.
NEW GUIDELINES
From new guidelines to be given to teachers in Norfolk:
Christianity
- Do use the term 'the Holy Spirit' rather than 'Holy Ghost' which suggests a trivial and spooky concept of the third person in the Trinity.
- Do attempt to organise visits to a church when they are busy. Visiting an empty building can reinforce the impression that churches are a monument to a faith which is no longer relevant.
- Don't, when exploring the Eucharist, suggest the bread and wine become 'the body of Jesus' or 'the blood of Jesus'. This suggests almost a cannibalistic consumption of human flesh.
Islam
- Do avoid equating Islam with terrorism and violence e.g avoid photographs of Muslims holding swords, Kalashnikovs etc
Judaism
- Don't refer to the first 39 books of the Bible as being 'the Old Testament'. It suggests that the books are old fashioned or out of date.
- Don't use the term the Wailing Wall. It suggests that Jewish prayer is negative and moaning. The proper term is the Western Wall.
Sikhism
- Do be careful when showing pupils the kachs. Without preparing pupils they seem to some like merely voluminous underpants and can give rise to a poor response.
Buddhism
- Do avoid suggesting that all Buddhists are celibate monks or nuns with shaved heads.
- Do be cautious about asking pupils to try a bit of mediation. To have a go at Buddhist meditation comes so close to a faith activity that unless one has the consent of everyone it could create difficulties.
Hinduism
- Do be selective when using photographs of ascetics and holy men (Sadhu) and attempt to prepare the pupils before disclosing such material. Photographs of emaciated men caked in mud may merely create the impression that Hinduism is for weirdos or masochists.
Source: http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/News/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=enonline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED09%20Apr%202005%2014%3A37%3A59%3A407
RE plans are ridiculous, say union
LEWIS HANNAM
09 April 2005 14:37
Moves to axe biblical terms like the Holy Ghost and the Old Testament from religious lessons at Norfolk schools were today branded daft.
Dropping the traditional names and words from classes forms part of a special list of dos and don'ts set to be given to teachers to stop them from offending or confusing students.
Teachers will also be advised to only take their pupils to churches when they are full for fear empty buildings make Christianity seem irrelevant.
The new guidance for teaching religion in school has been revealed in draft documents to go before Norfolk County Council's cabinet for approval next week.
It forms part of the new Norfolk Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education, a comprehensive document outlining religious learning in the county's schools.
Well-known terms such as the Wailing Wall have also been earmarked for the chop for fear they create the wrong impression.
Tony Mulgrew, Norfolk secretary for the National Union of Teachers, said: I just think it's a bit daft to suddenly change the name of the Old Testament. They shouldn't be messing about with the names of things. It's modernism gone mad. It does seem to be a bit daft.
The list itself does not just refer to Christianity, it also offers advice on how to handle Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islam in the classroom.
Nick Seaton, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, a pressure group for higher standards and greater parental choice in education, said: We come across other examples of changing language to make it politically correct, but this is the first one I have heard of in RE classes.
I think most people will think it's ridiculous. It's just another example of political correctness interfering with the education system.
The county's religious syllabus was last reworked in 1997; schools currently average one hour of the classes a week.
Many world religions are taught in Norfolk's schools, although the vast majority of lessons are based around Christianity.
Marian Agombar, chair of the Agreed Syllabus Conference, which drew up the list after seeking information from other local authorities in the UK, said: It's just a useful thing to help teachers prevent making mistakes. You can quite inadvertently say the wrong thing.
It really is just a way of creating good practice. It's support material for the teachers in the classroom.
She stressed that teachers would not be forced to follow guidelines.
Philip May, head teacher at Costessey High School, said: If a few words are no longer easily accessible to younger people, I would rather lose the words than those people.
He said decisions on the content of the religious syllabus were only taken after wide-reaching discussion, and he was sure the guidance would be of use.
Each school in the county will be given one copy of the syllabus; while it will be available to teachers on line.
Hereward Cooke, a clergyman and city councillor, said: It isn't an easy subject in this modern age to teach several religions to young people. It's important that this report gives guidance to teachers who can, or not, choose to use it.
NEW GUIDELINES
From new guidelines to be given to teachers in Norfolk:
Christianity
- Do use the term 'the Holy Spirit' rather than 'Holy Ghost' which suggests a trivial and spooky concept of the third person in the Trinity.
- Do attempt to organise visits to a church when they are busy. Visiting an empty building can reinforce the impression that churches are a monument to a faith which is no longer relevant.
- Don't, when exploring the Eucharist, suggest the bread and wine become 'the body of Jesus' or 'the blood of Jesus'. This suggests almost a cannibalistic consumption of human flesh.
Islam
- Do avoid equating Islam with terrorism and violence e.g avoid photographs of Muslims holding swords, Kalashnikovs etc
Judaism
- Don't refer to the first 39 books of the Bible as being 'the Old Testament'. It suggests that the books are old fashioned or out of date.
- Don't use the term the Wailing Wall. It suggests that Jewish prayer is negative and moaning. The proper term is the Western Wall.
Sikhism
- Do be careful when showing pupils the kachs. Without preparing pupils they seem to some like merely voluminous underpants and can give rise to a poor response.
Buddhism
- Do avoid suggesting that all Buddhists are celibate monks or nuns with shaved heads.
- Do be cautious about asking pupils to try a bit of mediation. To have a go at Buddhist meditation comes so close to a faith activity that unless one has the consent of everyone it could create difficulties.
Hinduism
- Do be selective when using photographs of ascetics and holy men (Sadhu) and attempt to prepare the pupils before disclosing such material. Photographs of emaciated men caked in mud may merely create the impression that Hinduism is for weirdos or masochists.
