Page 4 - The Portal magazine - March 2025
P. 4

THE P    RTAL                              March 2025                                      Page 4
        Help needed



        -  RE in schools                                                            Aun t ie



                                                                                    Aun t ie
        Joanna Bogle                                                                J
                                                                                    J
                                                                                     o
                                                                                     o
                                                                                     a
             RE YOU  worried that boys and girls in our mainstream schools           a
        Aare not learning much about Jesus Christ?  At one time, lessons  - often               wri     t t es
                                                                                      nna
                                                                                      nna wri es
        simply called Scripture – with a study of the basic outline or the Old Testament,
        and some fairly detailed study of Christ’s life in the New – were standard in Britain’s schools.
          Today, Christianity is specifically in the curriculum,  of teachers – they are grateful for a well-structured,
        and some schools do a reasonable job of introducing  interesting and organised project that can be put into
        pupils to the basic notions of the Christian Faith. This  action and suits pupils of varying abilities.
        is done, of course, by presenting Christianity as one
        among the various religions of the world – albeit one   The incidents the pupils must study include those
        with a particular place in the history and traditions of  that reveal Christ’s full identity as God. He was not
        our country.                                          a prophet. He was not a figure giving general kindly
                                                              messages about love or peace. He is God the Son, one
          But things are often made difficult by the simple  of the Blessed Trinity with the Father and the Holy
        fact  that  many  of  our  younger  teachers  simply  do  Spirit. In the Gospels, He heals the sick, calms a storm
        not have any real familiarity with Christianity.  at sea, makes the blind see and the deaf hear – even
        “Church” is something that is outside their everyday  raises people from the dead. He called Lazarus out of
        experience. Whereas at one time, all sorts of events  the tomb where the dead man had been lying for three
        and activities revolved around local churches –  days. He took the hand of Jairus’ little daughter and
        Scouts and Guides, carol services at Christmas, lots of  she sat up. Christ challenges us to ask ourselves: “Who
        weddings throughout the year - today some of these  is this man – that even the wind and sea obey Him?”
        have been peeled away from direct contact with prayer
        and worship.  And, of course, the place of Sunday in   The incidents from which pupils choose for their
        our common lives has changed. It’s now standard to  essays include at least one post-Resurrection event, and
        assume that it is a day for relaxing, eating out, maybe  always a powerful healing miracle. Pupils are expected
        enjoying some outdoor hobby or some gardening – or  to show evidence of having studied the Scriptures and
        just a day for watching a lot of stuff on the internet.  we often find that they have spent weeks on the project,
        Some young teachers honestly have no idea of what  reading through each incident and discussing it before
        goes on in a local church.                            choosing one.

          Rather than saying “Well, there is nothing to be     A large number of prizes - Bibles,  Christian classics
        done…a lot of what goes on in schools today is ghastly  such as C S Lewis “Mere Christianity” and other
        anyway” and switching the conversation to the latest  books  - are won by schools every year. Teams of
        horror in sex education or whatever, we need to take  volunteers pack and post the books, and each prize
        up our responsibilities. It is perfectly possible to offer  carries an attractive bookplate with the young winner’s
        some good Religious Education in schools. The annual  name.  And, as mentioned, the main winners come to
        Schools Bible Project, running successfully for over 30  London to receive their prizes. They are given a tour
        years, offers attractive prizes and an annual celebratory  of Westminster Abbey with their parents and teachers,
        gathering in Westminster – all well-funded.           and the prizes are presented in a formal ceremony. This
                                                              is always popular – it is a myth that young people do not
          Essentially, pupils at secondary schools across  want or appreciate formal events and a taste of history.
        Britain are invited to study events in the life of Christ,
        and to write about them as if they had actually been   Want to help? Contact me. An email to me via The
        present. Every year, an attractive brochure is sent  Portal  –  or  direct  at  schoolsbibleproject@gmail.com
        to every secondary school in the country – by mail  – will gain you all the info you need. I am keen to
        and by email – and pupils get to work. As one of the  involve Portal readers and Ordinariate members in
        organisers, I can testify to the goodwill and interest  this important work. Please help!
   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9