More than half of primary teachers who responded to a snap poll have revealed that their schools may be at risk of investigation by the Department for Education because they do not undertake a daily act of collective worship.
Of 2,680 respondents to a Twitter poll of primary teachers, 53 per cent said their schools didn’t offer collective worship - against DfE guidance that says schools are in breach “of their duty” by not doing so.
The poll was run by Year 2 teacher Ian Addison, who responded to the news that the DfE would investigate schools that were reported to it for not offering daily collective worship by tweeting: “Primary colleagues...following on from the news that we might get investigated if we don’t have collective daily worship, I was wondering, does this happen in your school? Do you have collective daily worship?”
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He later tweeted that the 23.8 per cent of teachers who said their school did have an act of collective worship were all “in church schools”.
Primary colleagues...following on from the news that we might get investigated if we don’t have collective daily worship, I was wondering, does this happen in your school? Do you have collective daily worship?
- Ian Addison ?♂️ (@ianaddison) April 14, 2021
As reported in Tes this week, schools minister Nick Gibb gave a response to a parliamentary question from Conservative MP Sir John Hayes, who asked what steps the DfE was taking “to ensure that a daily act of worship is taking place in every maintained school?”
Primary schools not providing daily collective worship
In a written answer, Mr Gibb said: “Every maintained school, academy and free school is required to ensure that collective worship takes place each day.
“If the department is informed that a school may be in breach of this requirement, it will be investigated. Where needed, the department will remind schools of their duty on this matter and advise on how this can be met.”
But primary teacher @loubug said schools should not promote any belief system at all.
She tweeted: “Even when I was a strong Christian, I didn’t agree with it and I still don’t. France has the right idea, keeping religion and state government separate. All state- funded schools should teach RE as an important academic subject, but should not promote any belief system at all.”
Agree. Even when I was a strong Christian I didn’t agree with it and I still don’t. France has the right idea, keeping religion and state egov separate. All state- funded schools should teach RE as an important academic subject, but should not promote any belief system at all.
- Louise N (@loubug) April 14, 2021
Tes columnist and primary headteacher Michael Tidd also tweeted in response to the poll, saying: “I’d wager that barely any non-faith schools comply with the letter of the law. And rightly so. It’s a hideous business.”
@MrBReading tweeted: “I think it’s of some value to come together and collectively give worth to something. I’m Christian, but most external Christian values are shared by all religions and none.”
