More than 140 primary and secondary schools across Britain have won the right to opt out of the legal requirement to provide a daily act of worship that is “broadly Christian” in character.

Traditional Christian assemblies are being abandoned in favour of multi-faith sessions or “moments of reflection”, which include inviting children to stare at rocks, meditation and discussing the news. Some schools have opted for Islamic assemblies with readings from the Quran, while others give space to all faiths.

It is reported that schools that no longer feel a Christian assembly is relevant to their pupils can seek permission to opt out from their local authority Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE), which comprises council and local faith representatives. However, schools must provide an alternative form of worship.

In Bradford, West Yorkshire, which has the highest number of opt-outs at 47, pupils at 40 schools attend one assembly a week that is devoted to Islam and four other sessions with a multi-faith approach. In the other seven schools there are five multi-faith sessions per week.

An increasing number of schools in London are also revamping their approach to school assemblies, with 37 in Brent and 12 in Ealing making successful opt-out applications to their local SACRE committees. One head teacher in Ealing proposed introducing a “thought spot” with children reflecting on a single object on a table such as a candle, a rock or an artefact.

This trend parallels a worrying report by Ofsted in June, which found that schools are failing to teach pupils about Christian beliefs in religious education classes and raised concerns that Christian students were being marginalised, with more attention being given to other faiths. The report found that as a result pupils’ understanding of Christianity is “unsystematic and confused”.

And in October last year, the former Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali, urged Education Secretary Michael Gove to restore the teaching of Christianity in British schools. He said that Christianity was the most significant link in the story of Britain and that education should look at the vital role played by reformers in the struggle for the freedoms he says shaped the British nation and are now under threat.
Read Daily Mail report - 14/12/2010 Anger as schools drop Christian assemblies in favour of multi-faith sessions or 'moments of reflection'

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