Recent Developments
Below is a list of links to recent developments and commentaries in the area of collective worship. If you have suggestions for additions to the list, please contact us.
Radio 4 ‘Sunday’ Programme, “A UN committee has called on the British government to repeal a law that school children in the UK to take part in a daily act of Christian worship. Dr Alison Mawhinney analyses the UN's concerns.” http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07fdxpf, 12 June 2016
UN Committee on the Rights of the Child: Comments and Recommendations on Collective Worship/Religious Observance, See ‘Concluding Observations’, para 34-35. June, 2016 http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/SessionDetails1.aspx?SessionID=987&Lang=en
Does daily worship count for anything? BBC News, 23 December 2016 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-35161361
"Living with Difference: Community, Diversity and the Common Good", Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life, December 2015. http://www.corab.org.uk/ Convened by the Woolf Institute and chaired by Baroness Butler-Sloss. “The legal requirement for schools to hold acts of collective worship should be repealed, and replaced by a requirement to hold inclusive times for reflection” p 9.
Top judge leads calls to scrap mandatory daily Christian worship in UK schools, 6 December 2016 https://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/dec/06/religious-teaching-school-assemblies-axe-report
Academics from across the UK question collective worship requirement in schools, British Humanist Association, November 13th, 2015 https://humanism.org.uk/2015/11/13/academics-from-across-the-uk-question-collective-worship-requirement-in-schools/
Governments in the UK urged to reconsider the practice of collective worship and religious observance in schools
TALK AT INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION, 15 OCTOBER 2015.
Collective worship in religiously-plural and secular settings: Why it is difficult, why it is valuable, how it is possible.
Dr. Julia Ipgrave, University of Warwick
POSTER SIG Seminar 15th Julia Ipgrave
Church of England: Statement on RE and Collective Worship, 15 June 2015
Scrap compulsory worship in schools former education secretary Charles Clarke, 15 June 2015
Schools told to end religious instruction and teach morality instead, 15 June 2015
Abolish religious assemblies in schools says new report, 15 June 2015
‘Christian School Fears Closure Over British Rule Mandating Imams to Take Assemblies, 'Actively' Promoting Other Faiths’
‘Collective worship in schools requires a rethink’
‘NGA responds to Telegraph article on Collective Worship’
‘Is this the end for compulsory collective worship in schools?’
‘Compulsory Christian school assembly should be scrapped – Church of England education chief’
‘School governors: abolish rules on Christian assemblies’
‘Scrap compulsory Christian assemblies in schools because they are 'meaningless' in 21st Century society, say governors’
Scrap 'meaningless' Christian assemblies in non-religious state schools, say governors
Religious education and collective worship in House of Lords debate:
Collective worship in Wales:
England and Collective Worship: 'Respect and tolerance key British values, says government'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-30245074
Stephen Evans : Time to End Compulsory Worship In Schools
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/stephen-evans/worship-in-schools_b_5572023.html?utm_hp_ref=uk
RSA Report launched, 11 March 2014, ‘Schools with a Soul: a new approach to Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education (SMSC)’
http://www.thersa.org/action-research-centre/learning,-cognition-and-creativity/education/reports-and-events/reports/schools-with-soul#download-report
‘Kirk: Replace religious observance with 'reflection time' in schools’, 27 January 2014
‘http://news.stv.tv/scotland/261833-church-of-scotland-and-humanist-society-issue-schools-reflection-call/
Worship in US Schools
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2014/04/04/appeals-court-upholds-new-york-city-ban-on-worship-services-in-schools/
‘Apparently prayer in schools is still legally required. Who knew?’
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tomchiversscience/100103372/apparently-prayer-in-schools-is-still-legally-required-who-knew/
‘Schools can sidestep Christian worship rule, say religious education groups’
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2012/nov/09/schools-sidestep-christian-worship-rule
‘Most schools 'shunning law on Christian assemblies’
‘Jesus Christ 'should be downplayed in school'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9667435/Jesus-Christ-should-be-downplayed-in-school.html
‘Law on religious assemblies in schools 'should be axed'’
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8146713/Law-on-religious-assemblies-in-schools-should-be-axed.html
‘It's time to scrap the law to provide daily worship in schools’
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2011/sep/11/daily-worship-schools-law
‘Non-denominational schools given the go-ahead to drop the ‘religious’ from religious observance’
November 2011, http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6129884
“State schools 'ignoring assembly' despite legal requirement”, The Daily Telegraph, 6 September 2011.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8743791/State-schools-ignoring-assembly-despite-legal-requirement.htm
‘Labour to ‘review’ collective worship in schools’ http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.co.uk/2008/01/labour-to-review-collective-worship-in.html
‘Tom Sutcliffe: Jesus wouldn't want kids forced to worship’ http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/columnists/thomas-sutcliffe/tom-sutcliffe-jesus-wouldnt-want-kids-forced-to-worship-2170452.html
Daily Collective Worship ignored by schools
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/09/06/bbc-survey-daily-collecti_n_949965.html
BBC Collective Worship 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14794472
BBC Collective Worship Poll
http://www.comres.co.uk/polls/BBC_Religion_Worship_in_schools_results_(plus_regions)_July11.pdf
BBC Collective Worship 2005
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4693129.stm
Religion title call over Scottish school assemblies 28th January 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-25921394
Church of Scotland welcomes Scottish Government backing for Religious Observance in schools 1st November 2013 http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/news_and_events/news/archive/2013/church_welcomes_scottish_government_backing_for
_religious_observance_in_schools
Parents call for an end to religious observance in schools 26th October 2013
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/parents-call-for-an-end-to-religious-observance-in-schools.22529786
No new options on religious observance in Scottish schools 24th October 2013
http://www.secularism.org.uk/blog/2013/10/no-new-options-on-religious-observance-in-scottish-schools
Reflection time in schools shows what we can learn together 16th October 2013 http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/news_and_events/news/archive/2013/reflection_time_in_schools_shows_what_we_can_
learn_together
The Church on Religious Observance in schools 3rd September 2013 http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/news_and_events/news/archive/2013/the_church_on_representations_to_holyrood
_committee_about_religious_observance_in_schools
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to amend the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 by making Religious Observance (RO) in public schools an “Opt-In” activity rather than an “Opt-Out” one. Lodged 20th June 2013 http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/GettingInvolved/Petitions/religiousobservance
Church welcomes move to retain religious observance in schools 18th April 2013 http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/news_and_events/news/archive/2013/church_welcomes_move_to_retain_religious_observance_in_schools
The new battle over religion in schools 9th June 2013
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/the-new-battle-over-religion-in-schools.21292976
