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 “The legal requirement for schools to hold acts of collective worship should be repealed, and replaced by a requirement to hold inclusive times for reflection” p 9.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

http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/press/press-releases/2015/november/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

https://www.churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2015/06/statement-on-re-and-collective-worship.aspx

 

Scrap compulsory worship in schools former education secretary Charles Clarke, 15 June 2015

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jun/15/scrap-compulsory-worship-in-schools-former-education-secretary-charles-clarke

 

Schools told to end religious instruction and teach morality instead, 15 June 2015

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/schools-told-to-end-religious-instruction-and-teach-morality-instead-10319326.html

 

Abolish religious assemblies in schools says new report, 15 June 2015

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/abolish.religious.assemblies.in.schools.says.new.report/56234.htm

 

‘Christian School Fears Closure Over British Rule Mandating Imams to Take Assemblies, 'Actively' Promoting Other Faiths’

http://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-school-fears-closure-over-british-rule-mandating-imams-to-take-assemblies-actively-promoting-other-faiths-128679/#

 

‘Collective worship in schools requires a rethink’

http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2014/aug/06/collective-worship-schools-students-religious-devotion

 

‘NGA responds to Telegraph article on Collective Worship’

http://www.nga.org.uk/News/NGA-News/May-Sept-14/NGA-responds-to-Telegraph-article-on-Collective-Wo.aspx

 

Is this the end for compulsory collective worship in schools?

https://newhumanist.org.uk/articles/4693/is-this-the-end-for-compulsory-collective-worship-in-schools

 

‘Compulsory Christian school assembly should be scrapped – Church of England education chief’

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10951894/Compulsory-Christian-school-assembly-should-be-scrapped-Church-of-England-education-chief.html

 

‘School governors: abolish rules on Christian assemblies’

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10933867/School-governors-abolish-rules-on-Christian-assemblies.html

 

‘Scrap compulsory Christian assemblies in schools because they are 'meaningless' in 21st Century society, say governors’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2674780/Scrap-compulsory-Christian-assemblies-schools-meaningless-21st-Century-society-say-governors.html

 

Scrap 'meaningless' Christian assemblies in non-religious state schools, say governors

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/scrap-meaningless-christian-assemblies-in-nonreligious-state-schools-say-governors-9571848.html

 

Religious education and collective worship in House of Lords debate:

http://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2014/11/religious-influence-on-education-criticised-in-house-of-lords-religion-in-public-life-debate



Collective worship in Wales:

http://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2014/10/nss-calls-on-welsh-government-to-review-compulsory-collective-worship

 

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’

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8743072/Most-schools-shunning-law-on-Christian-assemblies.html

‘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


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