We want to see laws requiring schools to hold acts of worship abolished.
The laws are archaic, unnecessary and breach children's freedom of religion or belief.
The United Kingdom is the only Western democracy which legally imposes worship in publicly funded schools.
The law in England and Wales provides that children at all maintained schools "shall on each school day take part in an act of collective worship". Northern Ireland and Scotland have similar laws.
Even in schools with no religious designation, the worship must be "wholly or mainly of a Christian character".
School assemblies are an important feature of school life. They foster a sense of community in schools and promote the moral and social development of pupils. But acts of worship are neither necessary nor desirable to achieve these educational goals.
Polling has found 70% of senior teachers "disagree" or "strongly disagree" with the law mandating worship, and 66% of teachers say their school does not even hold collective worship.
The majority of the public (52%) say school assemblies should be about moral issues, whereas just 26% agree that they should feature religious worship.
Many schools ignore the law, but where it is enforced it causes division and discrimination, as well as opening the door to evangelism and proselytising.
Parents have the right to withdraw children from collective worship, but many this is an unreasonable imposition on both themselves and their children. Parents should never have to withdraw their children from any part of the school day to ensure their rights to raise their child according to their own religious or philosophical convictions are respected.
Collective worship laws are outdated relics of a society unrecognisable from the diverse and pluralistic Britain of today, where citizens hold a wide variety of religious beliefs, and increasingly, no religious beliefs. The abolition of collective worship is long overdue.
Take action!
1. Write to your MP
Ask them to help end compulsory worship in schools
2. Share your story
Tell us why you support this campaign, and how you are personally affected by the issue. You can also let us know if you would like assistance with a particular issue.
3. Join us
Become a member of the National Secular Society today! Together, we can separate religion and state for greater freedom and fairness.
Latest updates
Government confirms school worship guidance can be ignored
Posted: Fri, 9 Nov 2012 12:24
The Department for Education has confirmed that its own controversial guidance on collective worship can be ignored by schools. The guidance, published in 1994, stipulates that worship in schools "should be concerned with reverence or veneration paid to a divine being or power."
The law in England and Wales provides that children at all maintained schools "shall on each school day take part in an act of collective worship". In community schools, the worship must be wholly or mainly of a Christian character. Parents have a legal right to withdraw children from collective worship in all schools but many parents regard this is an unsatisfactory option as they feel it is unfair to exclude and separate their children from classmates.
The guidance stipulates that school worship must contain some elements which relate specifically to the traditions of Christian belief and which accord a special status to Jesus Christ. When published, John Patten, the Minister of State for Education at the time, described the guidance as a potential "turning point in the spiritual life of this country". The guidance, know as Circular 1/94, caused an outcry amongst education professionals. The Association of Teachers and Lecturers asked why circulars were "being used to promulgate Ministers' personal predilections".
A spokesperson for the Department for Education told the NSS: "The guidance has not been withdrawn, but we are now leaving it up to schools to interpret the law how they see fit."
England and Wales are the only countries in the world where daily Christian worship is mandatory in all schools – even community schools.
The National Secular Society has long campaigned for an end to compulsory worship in state schools. Stephen Evans, campaigns manager at the NSS, said: "We very much welcome the Government's apparent confirmation of the irrelevance of this piece of guidance.
"We now hope that the Government will go further and consider a change to the law to remove the requirement for all schools provide a daily act of worship.
"We fully appreciate that school assemblies provide an excellent opportunity to bring members of a school together and create a sense of community. We also recognise that assemblies with an ethical framework can make a positive contribution to school life – but we do not accept that that it is either necessary or appropriate to do this within a religious context.
"Head teachers that regard religious worship as inappropriate for their pupils should expect the law recognise their situation – and allow them the freedom to decide for themselves.
"Likewise, young people deserve to have right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion respected and not have religion imposed upon them by the State."
Find out more about collective worship in schools
Also see: Good God, will the role of Jesus be downplayed? (TES)
Meanwhile, the Accord Coalition has commissioned a ComRes poll of 2003 people asking the question: "To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? State funded schools, including state funded faith schools, should not be allowed to select or discriminate against prospective pupils on religious grounds in their admissions policy."
Seventy-three per cent agreed with the statement, 18 per cent disagreeing. See the full results.
In the wake of this, the British Humanist Association and a local education pressure group in Richmond, Surrey, this week launched a High Court challenge to try to stop the Government creating more "faith schools" by the back door, without proper consultation. Read the full story.
Lady Massey asks why children are forced into collective worship
Posted: Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:50
Baroness Massey of Darwen has asked a Parliamentary Question in the House of Lords about whether allowing non-religious parents to withdraw their children from collective worship is an adequate alternative to having their children attend worship.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford) said, "We think that the right of parents to have a choice about having their children educated according to their religious or philosophical belief is fundamental. The option for parents to withdraw their children from collective worship gives them the right to exercise this choice. Parents can also discuss with the school options for their child to attend alternative provision for collective worship.
"Schools are required to design collective worship provision so that it is appropriate to all pupils, regardless of whether or not they hold a religious belief. Schools also have the flexibility to lift the requirement for broadly Christian collective worship, enabling schools to provide collective worship that best meets the needs of their local communities."
Baroness Massey then asked what assessment the Department for Education has made of the options open to parents who do not wish their children to attend collective worship, and of whether children who are withdrawn from collective worship by their parents are victimised by their school or their peers.
Lord Hill of Oareford said the law enables parents to decide the most appropriate way for their children to participate in collective worship. He said: "They can choose to withdraw their children from all or part of collective worship, without having to give a reason. Parents can also discuss with the school options for their child to attend alternative provision for collective worship.
"We have no evidence of children having been victimised because they are withdrawn from collective worship. Governing bodies of schools are under a duty to promote their pupils' well-being as part of their responsibility for running the school. Schools are required by the Equality Act 2010 not to harass or victimise a pupil in relation to education or the benefits, services and facilities they offer pupils. Schools are also under a duty to address any form of victimisation or bullying".
Terry Sanderson, President of the National Secular Society, said: "Even as this question was being asked we received a phone call from a distressed mother who said that she had told her daughter's school that she wanted to withdraw her daughter from collective worship because the whole family was atheist. This was agreed, but last week there was hymn-singing in class, which the child refused to take part in. This resulted in a confrontation with the teacher who said the girl's atheism was "rubbish" and "nonsense" and insisted that she join in the hymns. The teacher threatened to send the girl to the Principle's office, which resulted in the child bursting into tears and becoming distressed."
Mr Sanderson said that given she had formally requested withdrawal of her daughter from religious activities - which she is legally entitled to do - the mother had approached the head about the teacher's behaviour. We are waiting to hear the response.
