Note: a secular education and a secular home education could be interchangeable terms in this post. We are a secular home educating family.
What is Secular Home Education?
Secular Home Education refers to the practice of providing education to children at home that is not based on religious or spiritual teachings, it does not mean that the children will not learn about the existence of religions or to respect the different belief systems of other individuals and families. When religion is taught in a secular education setting it is often taught as a part of social studies or history, with the focus on the historical and cultural significance of different religions and their impact on society.
In secular home education, as in religious home education, parents or guardians typically use a variety of resources, such as textbooks, online courses, educational software, and hands-on projects, to teach their children the required academic subjects, such as mathematics, science, language arts, social studies, and the arts. The difference is that religious home education materials will always have religious instruction and faith at the heart of their home educational message.
What It Is Not!
Secular education does not mean the exclusion or rejection of religious or spiritual perspectives, it simply focuses on providing education that is neutral or unbiased with respect to any one set of religious beliefs and practices. Children may learn about various faiths and religions from an objective and academic perspective, in a way that is respectful and informative, without promoting any particular religion or belief system. The specific faiths and religions that are studied may vary depending on the curriculum and the age of the child. For example, younger children may learn about different holidays and celebrations from different cultures, while older children may study the history and beliefs of various religions in more depth.
The UK is a diverse country with a wide range of faiths and belief systems practiced by its population. Some of the major faiths and religions of the UK include: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism, Buddhism and other religions and belief systems such as Paganism, Wicca and various New Age and Spiritual Practices. There is also a significant percentage of the population that identifies as having no religion or being atheist or agnostic.
Home Education FAQs Series
This post is part of a series of Frequently Asked Questions concerning Home Education in the UK. If you are new to Home Education, are considering it in the future or you know people who Home Educate then reviewing the list of FAQs can be a good place to start. You may also be interested in be notified when my Home Education FAQs Ebook is published and if so please sign up below to be added to the list.
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