Spanners in the works ..........

[WillowTheWhisp]

........ or these things are sent to try us.

I have a 16 year old daughter who is in her 3rd year of seminary. She loves it and although she struggles with dyslexia which makes her college course difficult she has still wanted to do seminary as well.

Now here in the UK we struggle a bit with seminary as we have small wards and often not many youth and not all the youth who are interested enough to actually put the effort in to do this. Seminary times can vary to fit in with whoever the teacher is.

For the first two years she attended early evenings in the home of other seminary students (as there were more in their family than just the one of her) and on Tuesdays they would have it in the chapel just before Youth night.

Then a new teacher was called and the times were changed to early morning, meaning that she needed to get up at 5am in order to be ready. As it is quite dangerous to be out on your own round here at that time of morning the teacher would call for her by car on the way to the other home and they would have their lesson from 6am to 7am and then the teacher would bring her home.

That teacher resigned due to pressure of another calling and a new teacher was appointed (notice that I did not say 'called') who could not drive here to pick her up and I was not happy with her walking down there on her own at that hour of the morning when between our home and theirs it has been known for an adult woman to be attacked and raped. I do not believe it is safe for her to walk there alone and I do not believe the church expects her to do so. We have often been told that a Relief Society sister should not walk alone in dangerous places so I'm certain a 16 year old shouldn't.

So, we discussed with the new teacher the options of her studying at home as she really does not want to miss out. The teacher obtained a copy of the teacher manual for me so that I could guide her with studying at home as she would have difficulty submitting any written work.

Now the Bishop has informed me that all the lessons which I have been through with her are null and void as I have not been called as a seminary teacher. My daughter is heartbroken that she will fail to graduate because of this.

I have told her that a certificate is not all that important as it is only a piece of paper and what really matters is whether she has learned anything and taken it into her heart and mind as she cannot take a certificate with her to the celestial kingdom.

I have asked if she can do home study but been told that even if she did that she would still have to attend the classes once a week.

To me this does seem a little bit unfair - what would she do if she had a job and she started work at a time when seminary was held? Would she not be permitted to study at home? It makes me feel sad to see her so upset by this because it has meant a lot to her to be doing this and she has even spoken about Institute when she has completed her 4 years seminary.

It seems ironic to me that there are so many youth in the church who don't even want to listen during the Sunday lessons let alone do Seminary in addition and yet my daughter who really wants to do it is facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

I am hoping that there will be a way for her to continue and that all she has done so far will not be invalid but even if the church does not acknowledge all that she has studied I hope it won't discourage her and that she will still want to study along with me and learn even if she cannot have a certificate at the end of it.

The others in the class don't have this problem because the class is held in their home.

Sometimes it's tough being a teenager.

[WANDERER]

Sorry to hear that this has happened. Here's hoping she'll come to terms with it and that maybe some help is on the way.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Thanks Wanderer. There may be a way through this if they will let me help her with home study and if she can get to the class once a week. Someone may be able to take her there then it's only a case of one taxi ride back which I can probably manage OK. I am hoping this will be acceptable.

[Hemidakota]

Sometimes I wish we would 'burn the SP/Bp handbook' and use the spirit for appropriate discernment. [muffling] I won't begin to quote the original GA author for this material.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Sometimes it does seem like the biggest obstacles come from within the Church but it looks like we have now got a system which is acceptable to all concerned and we are hoping to run with this until the end of the term. Don't know what will happen next year but by then we could have a totally different teacher - yikes! ...... it might even be me!!!! Hope not!

[Guest Lexish]

Somehow what your bishop said seems misinformed. I only say this because I had to make-up almost two whole years of seminary. That didn't mean that I had to go to classes again or anything. I had to get a manual, do the work in it, write notes and everything then turn them into a seminary teacher who would check it and tell the local CES officials what I had done. Thus, I have both certificates.

If you can contact your CES director you could ask for more specific information. Maybe I'm wrong, but it really seems that you should be able to teach it at home. I've heard of people doing it before.

[Elgama]

Speak to your CES director and get some guidance. Ours in Scotland is amazing I loved him to bits whilst we did seminary - and even gave me as a married woman permission to do institute until it caused too much problems with a Sister who wanted it to be for YSA only.

-Charley

[MorningStar]

How far away is seminary? Do you have a car to drive her with? I always carpooled to seminary and other parents I knew would drive their kids there and stay to study their scriptures themselves, then take them directly to school from there.

[utcowboy]

There is alwayss a way.... Have you talk with the stake pres or the mission pres?? I would also ask, what are you and you daughter to learn from this? All Tests are there for a purpose... I suppose that you had more time together and got to know your Lord and Savior better together. You are right, it is only a piece of paper but to some that paper is important. I wish you the best in getting this problem solved. I agree with those above, take it to the next step, if the bishop is unwilling to help, there are others that are willing to hear your case.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Well, first of all it turns out it was the CES representative who informed the Bishop that it was not acceptable for me to teach my daughter so contacting him would be pointless. My daughter is being allowed to work through the rest of the manual now, with my assistance due to the problem with her dyslexia but she must still attend the class itself once a week. We've worked out how to get her there with my husband changing his working hours for that day so that he can drop her off on his way to work and then I can arrange a taxi to collect her and bring her home. It's only once a week so the taxi fare won't be too difficult to find. (There and back every day would just have been impossible).

We do have a car, which my husband uses to get to work as you'll have gathered. I'm afraid I cannot drive as I have an eye problem. I used to drive and it would make life a lot simpler sometimes if I could and then I could drop my husband off at work and come back and use the car for other things but that isn't possible. Going directly to college or her work placement from there wouldn't work either because of the time of day they hold it. She would be way too early for the school where she has placement or for her college. She has time in between getting back here afterwards to do other things at home such as preparing her lunch.

Lol no, car pooling is not an option. I did say it's a small ward and the only others in the class are all members of the same family and the class is held in their home! No-one else travels. There are other seminary aged youth but they don't do seminary.

As I said before the instruction has come from CES so speaking to the Stake President would be pointless. It's a CES decision but so far we do not know if the solution we have agreed with the seminary teacher is acceptable to the CES.We just hope so. Meanwhile my daughter is continuing to study, with my help because she doesn't want to miss out on learning the stuff even if she ends up having to miss out on the certificate. Her teacher says he will do all he can to make sure she can graduate as he feels she deserves to.

[MorningStar]

What would it take for you to become a seminary teacher? I mean, ideally you would have just one class in your small ward, but you could have your very own class if they let you be a teacher. Or, would the other family be willing to have it at your place? Would your place be suitable?

[Hemidakota]

It is sad to note, which a piece of paper is the ultimate objective [not your child per say, just a general statement from what is seen in a CES class] here and not the eternal worth of knowledge. I know it is a driving force for allot of the academic world, but pointless in the externalities.

I hope for the best for you at this time that it may seem hopeless and a lost cause.

[pushka]

Wow! Willow, I hope the situation improves for your daughter's Seminary classes. I recall that, when I took a Seminary Course back in 1979, we just held once a week classes at the Burnley Ward on Saturday mornings...I don't think I'd have coped with it every morning before school!!

Have you tried asking the parents of the other family if they might assist you with driving your daughter back home following the class? Or are they all eager to get back to bed following the class, lol :)