Edinburgh Academy
Where we ask the big questions
This is the subject where we ask questions that have exercised the minds of thinking people throughout the centuries. Where did we originate from? Why do bad things happen? How should we live as responsible people?
We look at the answers that Christianity and several other world religions have come up with and we reflect together on our own moral values.
Insight into religion
By means of a very varied collection of activities the children gain insight into religious festivals, writings, beliefs and sacred places. This work may involve the use of video resources and visits to places of worship to bring the unfamiliar to life.
Tolerance, respect for others and a desire to understand are the values that underpin this subject. Controversial issues are not dodged, just discussed with an openness to diverse viewpoints.
What is "good" behaviour and what is the point of it?
Thinking logically
Being able to argue a case involves knowing not just your own view but other points of view. Knowing why your answer is right is not just a matter of dogmatic assertion; it's about reasons, and it's also about reasons why the alternatives are wrong. The objective of this discussion is to develop the rational and critical faculties in ways which have value to other subjects and indeed the whole of life. |
The role of Assembly
This emphasis on participation in assemblies is taken further in Primary 3 -6. At this stage classes take it in turns to lead an assembly on Tuesdays. The form these assemblies take depends very much on the work being done in class in the areas of R.M.E. & P.S.D. It is common for children to write and perform their own poetry, to act out stories and share written work with the rest of the school. |
Thinking about Goodness
We tend to begin by thinking about how they went about it, and discuss what they did right and wrong before attempting our own solutions. Of course it is possible that they had the right answers already! |
Comparative religion |
Knowing when to ask questions is fundamental to all learning. Asking questions is the basis of all knowledge. 
A vital part of our R.M.E. provision comes by means of the daily assembly. In Primary 1 & 2 this often takes the form of a story and a song. On a regular basis classes also lead the assembly, usually by sharing their work with other children in the form of a presentation.
For any important question, it is quite likely that one or two good thinkers have attempted answers at some stage in the last two and a half thousand years. 
'The Bathing of the Buddha' ceremony was performed by P3 in 2008 to celebrate the Buddhist festival of Wesak. This page is: Edinburgh Academy / juniorschool / curriculum / religious.htm
