Today's report from the BBC that two thirds of parents report their children are not having a daily act of worship in their schools is hardly a surprise.
One of our children went to a very successful local comprehensive and the headteacher refused point blank to allow any religious activity on the premises. This was despite protests from some parents and comments from Ofsted.
She was, of course, breaking the law, the 1944 Education Act I recall requires schools to hold a daily act of worship.
Perhaps the most pertinent point I make is that the requirement comes from legislation dating back to 1944 - a well meaning but disastrous act which, incidentally, consigned me to a secondary modern education - and things have changed considerably since 1944.
Even in 1960s East London the workings of the Act were being tested to breaking point. Our school was spread over five sites and the logistics of moving people around for "assembly" meant they happened on a rotational basis and certainly not every day.
Then there was the issue of exactly what form the worship should take. A large proportion of pupils, in my form a majority, were Jews. This meant that we would only sing hymns which omitted Jesus and rarely used the New Testament. During Christmas and Easter periods the local rabbi would come in and the Jews would have a separate assembly. This wasn't exactly bringing the community together.
The quality of the worship, often led by people we knew to be atheists, was hardly inspiring. I still shudder at the interpretation put on the story of the talents during a "Christian" assembly by a deputy head teacher who hated both his work and his charges. On that day I found it particularly difficult to concentrate - the day before I'd been given four strokes for insolence by the man talking about Jesus.
As a parent I did attend worship at the Roman Catholic primary school that my children attended and found it inspiring and well thought out, but this seems to have been an exception - and several of the teachers were Methodists!
About 15 years ago I found that local schools in my constituency - I was in politics then - would ask me to come and speak at assemblies. These were great opportunities to meet potential young voters but also provided material for local newspapers. I sat through several "acts of worship". By and large they were dire.
My worst experience in the constituency was when a headteacher held up a "picture of Jesus" and pointed out how handsome he was with his blonde hair and blue eyes! Other teachers looked distinctly uncomfortable as they led an act of worship for which they had no appetite. Lots of them droned on about environmental issues - no wonder young people are cynical of climate change warnings. The theology was distinctly "iffy". There was one that was superb - but that was a one-off led by a local vicar who came in once a term.
I discussed school assemblies with one of the local chief education officers. As it happens she was a very old childhood friend who attended the same church as me, but by then was an atheist herself. She could see the value of assemblies but found the requirement for worship offensive and divisive. I rarely meet anyone in education who sees any value in school worship.
So I'm left wondering what the point of a daily act of worship is? It can be divisive. It can be counter productive. It can be damaging when led by people who themselves do not even believe in God.
Now I have no problem with schools teaching religious studies. I can't see how anyone can function in contemporary civic society without have a basic grasp of Biblical history and concepts. That is a perfectly legitimate function of a good education system. But an act of worship led by someone who doesn't believe? I think it best left to the local headteacher in consultation with parents and governors. Time to review the 1944 requirements.
One of our children went to a very successful local comprehensive and the headteacher refused point blank to allow any religious activity on the premises. This was despite protests from some parents and comments from Ofsted.
She was, of course, breaking the law, the 1944 Education Act I recall requires schools to hold a daily act of worship.
Perhaps the most pertinent point I make is that the requirement comes from legislation dating back to 1944 - a well meaning but disastrous act which, incidentally, consigned me to a secondary modern education - and things have changed considerably since 1944.
Even in 1960s East London the workings of the Act were being tested to breaking point. Our school was spread over five sites and the logistics of moving people around for "assembly" meant they happened on a rotational basis and certainly not every day.
Then there was the issue of exactly what form the worship should take. A large proportion of pupils, in my form a majority, were Jews. This meant that we would only sing hymns which omitted Jesus and rarely used the New Testament. During Christmas and Easter periods the local rabbi would come in and the Jews would have a separate assembly. This wasn't exactly bringing the community together.
The quality of the worship, often led by people we knew to be atheists, was hardly inspiring. I still shudder at the interpretation put on the story of the talents during a "Christian" assembly by a deputy head teacher who hated both his work and his charges. On that day I found it particularly difficult to concentrate - the day before I'd been given four strokes for insolence by the man talking about Jesus.
As a parent I did attend worship at the Roman Catholic primary school that my children attended and found it inspiring and well thought out, but this seems to have been an exception - and several of the teachers were Methodists!
About 15 years ago I found that local schools in my constituency - I was in politics then - would ask me to come and speak at assemblies. These were great opportunities to meet potential young voters but also provided material for local newspapers. I sat through several "acts of worship". By and large they were dire.
My worst experience in the constituency was when a headteacher held up a "picture of Jesus" and pointed out how handsome he was with his blonde hair and blue eyes! Other teachers looked distinctly uncomfortable as they led an act of worship for which they had no appetite. Lots of them droned on about environmental issues - no wonder young people are cynical of climate change warnings. The theology was distinctly "iffy". There was one that was superb - but that was a one-off led by a local vicar who came in once a term.
I discussed school assemblies with one of the local chief education officers. As it happens she was a very old childhood friend who attended the same church as me, but by then was an atheist herself. She could see the value of assemblies but found the requirement for worship offensive and divisive. I rarely meet anyone in education who sees any value in school worship.
So I'm left wondering what the point of a daily act of worship is? It can be divisive. It can be counter productive. It can be damaging when led by people who themselves do not even believe in God.
Now I have no problem with schools teaching religious studies. I can't see how anyone can function in contemporary civic society without have a basic grasp of Biblical history and concepts. That is a perfectly legitimate function of a good education system. But an act of worship led by someone who doesn't believe? I think it best left to the local headteacher in consultation with parents and governors. Time to review the 1944 requirements.
