Lessons in atheism for children as young as 4
CHILDREN as young as four are to be taught about atheism at school in a radical change to religious education lessons which has left critics dumbfounded.
Education chiefs are to add “non-religious beliefs” to the syllabus for primary and secondary pupils.
Youngsters will still learn about the six major faiths – Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Judaism.
But they will also be taught humanism, based on the belief there is no God and that moral values are founded on human nature and experience alone.
The move by Blackburn with Darwen Council in Lancashire, reflects figures showing more than 10,000 people in the borough have no religious beliefs.
But it has sparked outrage in some quarters.
Lesley Williams, whose 13-year-old attends Witton Park Business and Enterprise College, said: “It is wrong. I can understand children being taught about other faiths but being told God doesn’t exist is not right.
“When I went to school, the teachers encouraged us to follow a religion. Now it seems to be going the other way.”
Another parent fumed: “It’s just the top bosses at the council trying to justify their massive pay packets. Where will it stop? Yet another daft idea to try to show everyone the council is politically correct.”
Councillor Salim Mulla, chairman of the Lancashire Council of Mosques, said: “I don’t think it is right. People are born into faiths and are brought up in that faith and that’s how it should stay. The non-faith beliefs send a wrong message to the children and confuse them. Values are very, very important. I don’t think the non-God aspect should be introduced into the curriculum.”
However, Fiona Moss, from RE Today, which helped create the new syllabus, said: “We really must recognise that some people do not believe in God and do not have a religious background. We have to make children aware of non-beliefs.
“We want to support children to engage and enthuse them about RE to become good citizens. The aim is for them to be confident wherever they settle.”
The new syllabus was drawn up in the wake of the 2001 census results which showed more than 10,000 people in the borough did not follow a religion. It will be taught in all 28 council-run schools from September.
Launching the scheme, school improvement officer Dot Thomson said: “It’s the first time we have given respect to non-religious life stances. This syllabus is more imaginative.”
Councillor Chris Thayne, who chairs the borough’s religious education advisory committee, said: “We don’t want the future to be blind. We want it to be illuminated. We need understanding without prejudice.”
The Rev Kevin Logan, of the Christian People’s Alliance, said: “It is completely right to recognise atheism and humanism.
“I am certainly not worried about Christianity. It can stand against any belief and come out in a good light.”
