The daily act of collective worship in schools

The law requires a daily act of collective worship in schools.

One of the concerns that is regularly in the thoughts of CViE is the reduction and virtual elimination of doctrinally sound Christian teaching in schools.

It may be of interest to know that as far back at March 2009, CViE has encouraged our supporters to pursue the one avenue of daily Christian teaching established in law: Section 70 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.

Section 70 addresses the “Requirements relating to collective worship”.  The law in the UK requires, and this is a quote, “each pupil in attendance at a community, foundation or voluntary school shall on each school day take part in an act of collective worship”.  The Education Reform Act 1988 clarified that collective worship must be “wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character”.

Have Christian parents failed in not pressing one of the few remaining opportunities to bless their schools with the truth?  How much do we know about how our school is obeying this law, and what are the details of that compliance? To what extent are children missing out on the vital stories of Jesus?

Back in 2021, according to a report in the TES online, 53 per cent of 2,680 respondents to an online poll said that their schools did not offer a daily act of collective worship – that is five years ago, and there is every reason to suspect that the failure is even more widespread today.

The law grants parents the authority to require serious Christian teaching daily. Given what sometimes passes for Christian but isn’t (non-Christians are rarely able to rightly explain the faith), it is a real opportunity to offer our services in providing this important part of the school day.

A real concern is, of course, those who would not wish to participate.  As CViE wrote back in 2009:

“The forcing of children of other religions to take part in a Christian act of worship cannot be commended, for we would not wish our children to take part in an act of worship of another faith.”

We are grateful for Section 71 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 which grants parents the power to remove their children from the daily act.  It is respectful and right to do so.

CViE would urge our supporters to investigate their situation in a positive way, with a view to helping the school to comply.  It is quite possible that the local school leadership will be at a loss as to what constitutes distinct and faithful Christian instruction, and that is where we can help.  We may find our willingness to be warmly welcomed.

Section 70 seems to be an anomaly is this secular age – and challenges to it are always afoot – so Christians ought to act swiftly.  Schools need to be aware that mere discussion of social issues e.g. climate, or bullying, is not likely to satisfy instruction of “wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character”.

Christian Values in Education would welcome hearing from parents, teachers, pupils, and governors on the nature and regularity of Section 70 assemblies in schools you are associated with.  This would allow CViE to get an indication of how far schools comply with current legislation – it would seem that it is, rarely, if ever, subject of comment and review in Ofsted reports.

Also, CViE would be pleased to know of any difficulties experienced in encouraging your school to comply with the law of the land (still).