School assemblies

You are right that Christian assemblies are not a daily occurrence, at least not in the various schools my GC attend.
Another thing I would like to see each day at school is singing our national anthem.
Patriotism like Christianity has been dumbed down for quite a while now so as not to offend ethnic communities.
On a personal note I have no problem whatsoever with seeing a mosque or synagogue on a British street. Religion and culture are an important part of life but I hate to see us almost apologetic for being a Christian country. There needs to be room for us all whatever our beliefs.

I think religion is for home, places of worship and/or community groups, not school. I don't have a problem with school assemblies with songs or poems or whatever they want to do, just not religion.

Even in my day at school mid 60's early 70's we only had a School Assembly once a week.

I attended a CofE primary school in the late 50’s and early 60’s.

Every day started with assembly, hymns, prayers, readings.

The memory of them has stayed with me throughout my life, a peaceful, ordered start to the day.

Surprising how many non church goers still want that type of education for their children.

I wonder why?

I've a feeling that in state schools the majority of acts of worship must be mainly of a broadly Christian character. So, 51% of the term's assemblies/gatherings would be of a Christian nature.

There is supposed to be an act of collective worship every day unless it has changed since I retired.
But many Heads ignored that except during Ofsted when bemused children were herded into the school Hall without the faintest idea of what it was all about.
I think it is sad it no longer happens.

That collective worship no longer has to take place in the school hall though, does it?
You can have a class or tutor group meeting first thing, and discuss moral values like being kind and compassionate to your friends.
I think that's fine because that sort of teaching includes all religions or none.

argymargy

I think religion is for home, places of worship and/or community groups, not school. I don't have a problem with school assemblies with songs or poems or whatever they want to do, just not religion.

I agree with this.

I think that teaching about all religions should be compulsory for younger children, so that they understand the reasoning behind others' beliefs, but IMO worship should be separate from school.

We had daily assemblies when I was at primary school.
My lasting memory is of the classical music played for about two minutes at the end, then we had to file out of the hall in turn.
It’s where my love of classical music started and I’m grateful for it.

What about those families who aren't religious? And which religion would you like to see?

I have no problem with children learning about different religions as it's something which exists in the world with which children should be familiar. But it should not be taught from the viewpoint of fact or that this religion is the one...

Evolution should be taught alongside intelligent design let kids make up their own minds.

We had Christian assemblies in Primary school but not when I started secondary school in 1973 - the school was too large. We had a full school (non Christian) assembly once or twice a year but it took a full hour to cram all 2,000 pupils into the adjacent sports centre. I'm not sure that Christians were in the majority anyway.

YorkLady

We had daily assemblies when I was at primary school.
My lasting memory is of the classical music played for about two minutes at the end, then we had to file out of the hall in turn.
It’s where my love of classical music started and I’m grateful for it.

There are some classical pieces that I can name instantly because of primary school assembly, Miss Francis' and her ancient record player.

At our grammar school in the 1960s girls who were not CofE were allowed to skip the religious part of the Assembly and trooped back in for the notices. They stayed in a classroom under the supervision of one of the teachers, who was RC. Although it wasn't a church school we still had hymns and readings and the general manner was Church of England.

And we were also played in to recordings of classical music.

1960srelic

At our grammar school in the 1960s girls who were not CofE were allowed to skip the religious part of the Assembly and trooped back in for the notices. They stayed in a classroom under the supervision of one of the teachers, who was RC. Although it wasn't a church school we still had hymns and readings and the general manner was Church of England.

We used to have a daily assembly and there was a room just off the hall where those who opted out assembled.
I mostly ended up there because I lived quite a distance away in an area with poor public transport, & was often late (Late excused, we were called).
We went into assembly for notices, much better than going into a lesson 15 minutes late.

My primary school and high school years had daily assemblies. We knew the music by heart.
We had a daily assembly, of a broadly Christian nature at our primary school where I played the hymns/songs from Come and Praise and other books.
The new head dismissed it as unnecessary and said we had to do something in our classrooms. 🤣

James B Partridge is on tour at the moment.
If you loved Who put the colours in the rainbow or Love is like a magic penny it’s well worth a visit. Manchester was packed and we had a great sing-along.

Doodledog

argymargy

I think religion is for home, places of worship and/or community groups, not school. I don't have a problem with school assemblies with songs or poems or whatever they want to do, just not religion.

I agree with this.

I think that teaching about all religions should be compulsory for younger children, so that they understand the reasoning behind others' beliefs, but IMO worship should be separate from school.

Totally agree with this. I have no problem with school pupils being taught about world religions per se, but I definitely believe that religious worship itself should play no part in a state education.

At my primary school in the 50s we had assembly everyday. We sat crossed legged on the floor in long rows. There were 41 in a class from ages ran from 5 to 11.
Also in the C of E secondary modern school I attended 3 classes in each year, assembly was held every morning, crossed legged on the floor, except for Thursdays (I think) when we all went to church, instead of first class. There was a RE class every week.
My 3 DDs all went to a French RC, although a religious school there were no daily assemblies, only two church services, one at the beginning of the school year, the other at the end, not even at Christmas one. However, because it was a church school they also had a weekly RE. class, but they also learnt about other religions.

Getting the school together, for announcements, communal singing, music or poetry is all good, I think, as is an opportunity to listen to external speakers. Assemblies in themselves are not a bad thing.

Who put the colours in the rainbow?
Who put the sausage in the cheese?

It was ages before I worked out what they were actually singing………

@Doodledog I totally agree. I think assemblies, even without religion, are a good way to put out school messages and create a sense of belonging. Community singing is also great for wellbeing. I still remember the rousing hymns from my 1960s grammar school

Lathyrus3

Who put the colours in the rainbow?
Who put the sausage in the cheese?

It was ages before I worked out what they were actually singing………

🤣🤣 That sounds like the words songs get changed to, like shepherds washing their socks by night.
We had the words up on a big screen, but taught the younger children line by line in hymn practice.
Re teaching other religions.
I enjoyed it, especially with Y2 children.
The birth of the Buddha, where His mother, Maya, conceived him when she dreamed that a white elephant entered her right side instead of Mary being told by an Angel caught the children’s interest.
The legend that the Buddha emerged from his mother’s side, as she stood leaning against a tree. He took seven steps and lotus flowers sprang up in his footsteps, fascinated the children.
(I didn’t mention the painless birth claim.)
I enjoyed the children discussing whether it was better to be told by an Angel or an elephant, or whether it was better to have gifts brought or be able to walk straight away.
They asked questions about what use the gifts were and what did Mary do with them. Or whether Buddha came out fully dressed when he walked or did his mum have clothes ready.

Personally I loved the hymn-singing bit. I’m not at all religious but I still love so many traditional old hymns.

A really Big Thing at my first school was being given your own hymn book - once they thought you could read well enough.
Until then we were told to ‘sing it to la’.

I would NOT like to hear our National Anthem to be sung on the USA level!
😱