English Schools Not Worshipping Enough

Senior figures in the Church of England and Catholic, Methodist and Baptist Churches recently pointed out that secondary schools in England are failing to organise daily acts of worship, therefore limiting children's spiritual and moral development.

The Church leaders said teachers and heads needed more training in how to run religious assemblies, as they are legally required to do. By law, schools in England must organise daily acts of worship, which are "wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character".

While primary schools usually fulfil their duties, often with whole-school assemblies, many state secondaries do not, the Churches said.

The call to the education secretary, Alan Johnson, won support from the government, which said Ofsted inspectors would continue to monitor school assemblies.