Tadley Roundabout - News for Tadley Traders, Businesses and Community, Business Directory

From Basingstoke Gazette:
MORE than three-quarters of secondary schools in Hampshire are not providing a satisfactory daily act of collective worship for their pupils, according to a recent report.

Hampshire County Council found that nearly 77 per cent of secondary school headteachers in Hampshire do not believe they satisfy the statutory requirements for a daily act of worship.

And only 56 per cent of headteachers believed that most acts of collective worship during each term are of a broadly Christian character.
advertisement

Bishop Challoner Catholic Secondary School, in Basingstoke, has two acts of worship every day.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of schools operate on secular lines, but there is no logistic reason why they cannot have an act of worship
Anthony Corish

Anthony Corish, headteacher, said: "I think the figures are a shame, but I'm not surprised.

"Unfortunately, the vast majority of schools operate on secular lines, but there is no logistic reason why they cannot have an act of worship.

"Our acts of worship provide pupils with an opportunity to develop their faith and their relationship with God."

Primary schools in Hampshire fared better, with more than 95 per cent of schools providing a daily act of collective worship, of which 95 per cent were of a Christian character.

A daily act of collective worship is required by the agreed syllabus for Hampshire, called Living Difference.

The Standing Committee for Religious Education (SACRE) set up an online questionnaire for all headteachers in Hampshire to complete in January this year.

The survey also found that girls are still outperforming boys at GCSE level in religious education, although the number of A* to C grades achieved by both boys and girls has decreased from last year.

Does anyone have an opinion on the role of collective worship and/or religion in 21st Century schools?

Children don't need religion, it's religion that causes the problems in this world.

You shouldn't enforce any views onto anybody, if they want to worship, they can go to one of the many churches in the area.

We should be spending time teaching children the morale of life to help society to get on with each other.

Colinc

I agree Colin, you are absolutely right!

Agree with Colin.
Children should learn such things as courtesy, care, respect etc. found in many faiths. These should be learnt at home.
Parents must bring up children and not expect state funded schools to their job for them

I agree that children should learn "courtesy, care, respect", I also agree that that should come from the home. However, religion should be part of a children's learning, because as was pointed out, religion seems to be one of the root causes of problems in todays society, and in my opinion that comes from lack of understanding.

How many of you can say that as a child, assembly with a prayer and hymns weren't part of your daily/weekly routine at school? Even in High School, I remember 15 minutes in the morning, and after lunch - during registration - being used for 'reflection'. And this was in your 'bog standard' high school, not in a church-run school.

colinc, teaching religion isn't about enforcing your views on anyone. It's about giving a person the information to be able to make the choice on their own.

i do not think religion should be forced onto children but people who believe in god should have the chance to pray etc if the wish to but it should be a choise not something to force upon our children