Paganism, Education and Schools
I've served
as the Youth officer for the Scottish Pagan Federation for about 7 years. In
this role, I deal with Youth membership, education and any matter relating to Pagan
youth.
One of the most frequent questions referred on to
me comes from Pagan parents who want their family religion respected by their children's schools and included in schools' RME programmes. Often they have tried
talking to an individual school, only to be told something along the lines that Paganism
isn’t really a religion or that there is no demand for this and so on - despite
the fact the parent is standing there asking why Paganism is not included.
In one sense, it is for us to ask for inclusion. The
resources on the next page may be of use for both parents and teachers who wish to learn
more about the both the current legislation and the materials available for
schools. These resources were developed for non-denominational schools in
Scotland. If you have chosen a Catholic school education for your child, you
have signed up for the ethos of that system.
The secondary school lesson plans
were written to incorporate A
Curriculum for Excellence and they have been cross-matched with the experiences
and outcomes for various subjects. They are aimed at third / fourth level. At the primary levels, the guide for parents
may be of use to schools if they wish to know more. The other resources have come from projects the SPF
has been involved in over the years.
Finally, if you have little ones and haven't yet discovered Lora Gaddis's site PookaPages, you're in for a treat! It's a fantastic site, aimed at young Pagans.
I hope this is all of use. If there is
anything else you would like to see developed and included here, please get in
touch.
Fiona Tinker
