Call to scrap religious worship in schools

St Andrews Church, Congresbury Archant

EDUCATION chiefs from across North Somerset have spoken out after a new report pressured the Government to consider scrapping religious assemblies in schools.

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A report by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (ARHC) wants the Government to rethink policy and replace assemblies with acts that are ‘broadly Christian in character’ but do not favour a single religion.

South West National Union of Teacher’s (NUT) secretary Jon Reddiford said most people would favour changes which reflect today’s multicultural world.

He said: “In a largely secular and multicultural society, a daily act of Christian worship has little relevance to the majority of children, and as such ending the compulsory requirement (which most schools ignored anyway) seems like a good idea.”

In 2004, it was revealed that 76 per cent of secondary schools were failing to provide daily acts of worship.

Data from the 2011 census revealed only 61 per cent of people in North Somerset class themselves as Christian, with a non-religious population of 29.5 per cent.

The ARHC says daily acts of collective worship – which are a requirement of current UK law – could be discriminatory.

But the Department for Education says assemblies help forge British values of tolerance, respect and understanding in children.

A Government spokesman said: “It is for schools to tailor their provision to suit the needs of their pupils, and parents can withdraw their children from all or any part of collective worship.”

However, Iain Kilpatrick, headteacher of Sidcot School, a private Quaker school in Winscombe, said religious worship remains important in schools.

He said: “While the majority of pupils and staff at Sidcot are not Quakers, the whole senior school community meets together in a morning assembly once a week.

“This is a time when staff and pupils – of whatever faith – share a 20-minute period of quiet reflection; a rare opportunity in today’s world.

“The meeting for worship gives pupils the opportunity for spiritual development, enabling students and staff of many faiths to worship together – Muslim, Catholic, Jewish, Orthodox, Hindus.”

Stephen Evans, campaigns manager of the National Secular Society, said: “The AHRC report is the latest to recognise that the legal requirement for Christian collective worship not only undermines parents’ rights but also young people’s right to freedom of religion and belief.