Should we have Collective Worship in schools?

Some in our nation think the church has too much influence on the lives of those outside it. We asked a former Bishop of Oxford and our Chaplaincy Adviser: Should we have collective worship in schools?

For most of my life, I have taken compulsory worship in schools for granted. It was only two years ago, during debates on the subject in the House of Lords, that I came to see not only that this should no longer be defended but that as a matter of integrity, the Church of England should take the lead in getting it abolished for schools not of a designated religious character. The government won’t act, for fear of disturbing the status quo. The church will need to take the initiative.

If a couple are Christian it is natural that they should want their children brought up within the faith. And if there is a church school available it is natural and right that the children should attend it, and that worship should be part of their routine. But I believe that daily worship should no longer be mandatory for state schools, and that the Church of England itself should take a lead in changing the law to abolish it.

The current situation brings both the law and worship into disrepute. The law at present is very widely disregarded. According to one survey, 53 percent of primary school teachers said their schools did not offer collective worship. This is because most heads do not have a faith themselves and have no interest in enforcing it.

In those schools where the law is in fact obeyed the worship, or what passes for worship, is in danger of being a mockery.

Worship is a fundamental reality for Christians. We believe there is a reality who is good, all good, our true and everlasting good. It is this unalloyed, infinite goodness whose worth we recognise and praise. This is too important a matter to allow a travesty of it to pass in schools.

It is good that there should be assemblies in which fundamental issues of ethics or religion are raised. It is also essential that the basic facts of Christianity are an important part of the curriculum, for they are fundamental to our whole history, literature and culture. But this is different from attempts, if they are made, by agnostic heads to impose worship on pupils, most of whom, according to the polls, will not believe in God.

It has been argued by the Church of England that daily acts of collective worship are “a powerful tool in bringing pupils together, giving them a rare opportunity to pause and reflect in the midst of a busy day.”

But there can be opportunities to pause and reflect without the obligation to worship the Creator. Indeed, the law says that there must be such opportunities.

I believe that if the compulsory worship element were abolished then schools would apply themselves with much more imagination and energy to provide assembles aimed at “furthering the spiritual, moral, social and cultural education of the pupils regardless of religion or belief.” This is different from worship, which can only be discovered and experienced as part of a worshipping community. ?

Collective worship, when done well, is the most valuable part of the school day.

Much of the day is about “doing”, rushing from one activity to another in a whirl of industry. But lessons only engage part of what it means to be human. We are “human beings” not “human doings”. We need space to ponder, wonder and reflect on the big questions: who am I, where am I going, what is the purpose of life? This is the province of spirituality – we are spiritual beings – and spirituality finds its anchorage in school in collective worship.

But why should Christianity be promoted as the answer to these questions, instead of other faiths and worldviews? Why not just offer mindfulness exercises?

The Christian Church and the Church of England have always been at the cutting edge of education, from the first monastic schools to the inception of universities, to the founding of The National Society and thousands of schools for all. Centuries of investment and activism surely earns you the right to speak with a distinctive voice into this sphere?

If you are to make provision for spirituality and faith, then you have to offer it from one perspective. You cannot meaningfully inhabit six faiths and three secular worldviews in a way that brings them to life. You can learn about them, and to do so is important – that is the job of RE.

To offer nothing is also not a good idea. As GK Chesterton said, “when people stop believing in God, they do not believe in nothing, they believe in anything.” Carefully planned collective worship offers children and young people access to a faith perspective that is thousands of years old, starting before the time of Jesus at the roots of the world’s three monotheistic faiths.

Perhaps the most significant element of collective worship is the delivery. The church stipulates that worship should be inclusive, invitational, inspirational.

Schools go to huge lengths to make worship as inclusive as possible, with different faiths and worldviews included and prayers beginning “I invite you to pray…” or similar. Worship is never compulsory or coercive.

Think of some of the biggest problems for young people today – mental health issues, isolation, social anxiety. Programmes like Space Makers and Prayer Spaces help with mental health by giving young people tools and time for spiritual connection on the vertical axis. But collective worship allows for the wonderful connection of a whole school community on the horizontal axis.

If you haven’t heard a whole school sing “this little light of mine” or “one more step along the world we go,” then you are missing a most uplifting experience.

The comedian Jason Manford recognises the value of this grand unifying experience in his Assembly Bangers. I think we should value a generous, inclusive and inspiring time in the school day for connection with self, community and – who knows – God. ?

Read this article and find additional reading in our Summer 2023 issue of Pathways.