King John was a bad king.” Do we believe that fact children, just because it’s written in a book? Of course we don’t. Maybe the author was . . . who can tell . . . absolutely right! Now, why might a person be - what is the word? . . . biased? Remember what we’ve been learning all term . . . what is it we have to look for? Yes, what an excellent class you are . . . your enquiring, searching minds will ensure that you will always look for historical evidence. So my wonderful historians, just once more: do we ever believe what we read in history books? No we do not, Class 4 - we all question!

Pythagoras’s theorem states . . . come on David, you tell everybody, what does it state? Now who agrees with that answer - who knows he’s right? No hands up - fantastic - none of us know he’s right until we have proved this for ourselves. Investigation of this ancient theory is our group task today . . . and by lunchtime you will let me know if Pythagoras was right or wrong. Remember, good mathematicians always question.

I’m going to plant some vegetable seeds children. Now watch carefully . . . I have in front of me some sandy soil, some peat soil and some clay soil.

In which of these pots will the seeds grow best? Yes Penny . . . but how do you know that peat soil will be superior for its growth? Because it tells you so on the packet? That is irrelevant.

Today, Class 5 are going to test, to investigate, to experiment. We are going to see if the manufacturers are correct, not simply follow their instructions . . . so, off you go in your groups to work out your plan of campaign for fair testing. Remember: logical scientists always question.

Yes, indeed, questioning has become an integral part of understanding history, improving mathematical ability and in developing logical scientific enquiry, to name but three subjects. But please, spare a thought for the problems of the religious education teacher faced with this very same questioning.

How do we know God made man? We tried it . . . and believe us, dust has no such properties.

Who said the Red Sea split? Maybe he was biased.

So a bush was alight and didn’t burn - miracle? Must have been one of the Gas Board’s latest mock fuel fires.

How can God help people if he’s invisible. May as well believe in Mr Pinkwhistle! Created the stars? Have you ever tried counting them? At least the Big Bang theory is plausible. Have you ever seen God, spoken to God, touched God, heard God, felt God? Oh I get it: only Moses saw Him - but he’s dead.

How does one attempt to teach faith to a society trained to question, trained to require proof and trained to be logical? Where does RE fit in?

Faith means accepting that the Bible or other sacred scriptures are books primarily inspired by a Being whom no one has ever seen read, dictated by a Being whom no one has seen talk, with a legal system devised by Someone without even a university degree.

Faith means belief in an afterlife when no one even knows where they are going.

Faith means believing that someone still has your best interests at heart when you’ve asked God for Johnny Briggs to be expelled from school because he’s bullying you and he’s still there a week later.

Faith is when you truly reason that you can talk to Someone without ears. Faith is when you know you can get the finest help to score goals against Hopwood School by the Invisible Being who’s never even kicked a ball.

Above all else, faith means that you believe in a Being who requires you to work like mad in every lesson to develop questioning techniques, to give reasons why you won’t accept the written word and to work out how to prove the hypotheses of others.

Except in RE.

In this lesson alone, you behave in an entirely opposite way in order to obtain any credibility whatsoever. And, of course, you should perform the feat of simultaneously believing that God represents perfection and understanding.

Perhaps the question really is: can we teach religious belief alongside the national curriculum?

Suzanne Kushner teaches RE at Stockport Grammar School.