Seven in 10 heads against daily acts of worship in schools, survey finds

A TOTAL of 70 per cent of senior leaders in state schools do not support a law which requires daily acts of collective worship in schools, a survey for the National Secular Society suggests.

The society said the Government must recognise the “divisive and deeply unpopular nature” of the collective worship law in schools and repeal it.

Schools in England are legally required to hold daily acts of collective worship – and in schools without a religious character, it should be “wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character”.

Secular campaigners have told Education Secretary Gillian Keegan that the issue of religious practice in schools is becoming “increasingly fraught” and imposing worship on pupils “adds to this tension”.

The warning comes after Michaela Community School, in Brent, north London, faced legal action from a Muslim pupil against the school’s ban on prayer rituals. Last month, the school defeated the legal challenge from the student who claimed the school’s policy was discriminatory and unlawfully breached her right to religious freedom.

A poll of 1,934 senior leaders and headteachers in England found 70 per cent disagree that all schools should be legally required to hold daily acts of broadly Christian collective worship.

The survey was carried out for the National Secular Society by the Teacher Tapp app in April. It suggests 12 per cent of senior leaders support the collective worship law in schools.

In a letter to Ms Keegan earlier this year, the society said teachers were “deciding en masse that collective worship has no place in inclusive 21st century schools”.

The letter, from the society’s chief executive Stephen Evans, said: “The issue of religious practice in schools is becoming increasingly fraught, as the recent events at Michaela Community School have demonstrated.”

Under the law, parents can request for their children aged under 16 to be withdrawn “wholly or partly” from acts of collective worship.

Schools can also apply to their local Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education for an exemption from the legal requirement for Christian collective worship – which is known as a “determination” – if they consider this would better meet the needs of their pupils and families.

On the survey results, Mr Evans said: “Our population is more irreligious and religiously diverse than ever before. It is therefore unsurprising many teachers find imposing worship on children objectionable and unconducive to a pluralistic and cohesive learning environment.

“It’s high time legislators recognised the dead letter nature of this obsolete law and repealed it.”