Teaching atheism becomes redundant if we teach children to reason.

Never under the name atheism. Maybe freethinkers.

My daughter-in-law forbade me to discuss the religion she was bringing up my two grandsons in (RC). So I never mentioned god or religion to them but I taught them how to think critically and how to be skeptical. (And I refused to attend their Confirmation ceremony.) It worked! Both became atheists in their teens. Now their mother blames me for "interfering" in their religion. Schools should have a mandatory course at all levels in Critical Thinking. This would automatically foster a increased bent towards science and scientific thinking and increase scientific literacy in the community.

Our Atheism begins with critical thinking rather than blind acceptance of false xian Webster mis-defining Atheists .....secularism is all about citizenship under our gawdless CONSTITUTION. ...our schools are about language culture math science and the borders of privacy that religious terrorists are violating

Regarding world religion studies; "Given the opportunity to study it, I think many would agree that mythology is an interesting subject — and modern mythologies are no different. Through an education in Religious Studies, I learned about the creation myths from various cultures and those myths’ earlier influences, about the similarities and inconsistencies within each belief system, and how each religion has grown from a localized cult to its modern global equivalent. To clarify, I majored in Religious Studies, the study of religions from a phenomenological approach, which is not to be confused with Christian Theology — the study of Christianity as a fundamental truth. I found that, if you study comparative religion, it’s more difficult to be religious because the great faiths are all very similar at the most fundamental level. Each organization has similar cult beginnings and “prophets,” they each began as local and cultural myths before being applied to a global context, and they are almost always spread through a combination of violence and proselytization. In the United States, public schools don’t generally teach comparative religion courses, although they legally can — and should. The Supreme Court has upheld the teaching of religious studies in American public schools time and time again[1], but the vast majority of students in the U.S. continue to learn very little about the phenomenon of religion from traditional educational outlets, and instead adhere to whatever faith they were born into out of enculturation and ignorance.

[richarddawkins.net]

Atheism can't be taught because it's not a thing, it's a lack of a thing.
Religion as a whole should be taught, from its beginnings, it's changes throughout history and its similarities in different religions myths and cults throughout the world.
Maybe if more people saw its evolution from thunder gods we might get somewhere.

If it was a class it shouldn't be mandatory. What ought to be mandatory though is a class that teaches critical thinking and let the students draw their own conclusions based on that.

Atheism would be a good subject in the same way that abstinence is a good sexual position. Mythology 101 would be more effective if utilizing a comparative study taught by someone who hasn't been or is no longer infected.

That's a slippery slope. One could argue that atheism is a belief system and if one belief system is going to be taught then they all should be taught.

I don’t think you can teach atheism, promote critical thinking and the scientific method.

I don't see that happening. It should, however, be taught at home.

If it is taught then it may become the very same thing we despise from any other type of indoctrination. The individual must become aware of his inner strength by himself