Christian assemblies under threat from major Government bill

Education Team Administrator Emily Bourne analyses the recent Committee debate in the House of Lords on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

After being rushed through the House of Commons earlier this year, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill continues to be scrutinised in the House of Lords. We have previously warned about the dangers of the bill which validate long-held concerns of overreach into the independence of schools and the private lives of Christian families.

The requirement for home educators to justify that they are providing a “suitable education” through a mandatory register and collection of data would be an intolerable example of state overreach. Many Christian parents are choosing to home educate because of concerns about secularising and sexualising content being taught in schools. That there may be a presumption of guilt over some parents for making choice is deeply disturbing.

On top of these concerns, there are some who are making attempts to hijack the bill. Baroness Burt of Solihull has put forward an amendment that seeks to remove the requirement for collective daily worship in all state‑funded schools without a religious character. During a lengthy session on 16 September, this amendment sparked significant debate about the place of Christian worship in schools.

Previous attempts to remove requirement for collective worship

The law as it stands requires state community schools to have daily collective worship which is “wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character.” But there have been numerous attempts over the years to remove this requirement, and Baroness Burt even currently has her own going through House of Lords on this issue.

She argues that mandating Christian worship in non‑faith schools is not justified when significant portions of the population have no religion. Under the amendment, non‑faith schools would no longer be legally obliged to hold daily Christian worship. They would instead be required to provide weekly assembly that furthers spiritual, moral, social and cultural development for all pupils, whatever their faith or belief.

But this framing masks deeper concerns about the erosion of Christian heritage and the imposition of secular ideologies in the name of neutrality, a point which a number of peers were able to make during the debate. With reports about a ‘Quiet Revival’ taking place among young people, assemblies and regular worship in schools give great opportunities to allow children to engage with the Christian story. This is just one reason why we should oppose any attempts remove such content from assemblies.

Cultural and Educational Importance of Christianity

Several peers spoke powerfully against the amendment. Lord Jackson emphasised that British history and culture are rooted in Christian belief and removing religion from assemblies would narrow children’s education. He said:

“It is not possible to understand British society and culture without regard for the religious beliefs that have shaped its literature, music, art, history and institutions.”

He also said that removing religious belief from assemblies and replacing them with “neutral” spiritual and moral education is conceptually incoherent, and Lord Weir commented that it “almost replaces a religious assembly with what is, in effect, a humanist assembly.”

Concerns were also raised about fairness. Under the current system, parents can withdraw their children from Christian worship. But the amendment would not allow withdrawal from humanist-style assemblies, creating a two-tier system that privileges secular worldviews.

Lord Weir echoed these concerns, warning that removing the Christian anchor from school assemblies could lead to politicised content, especially on divisive issues. He also challenged the idea that collective worship excludes or alienates students, arguing instead that it offers a shared moral and spiritual framework.

What Next

The debate continued into the early hours of the morning and, ultimately, Baroness Burt’s Amendment was not moved forward for a vote. However, the debate revealed the growing pressure to secularise education and family life by marginalising Christian beliefs.

This provides a reminder of the importance of engaging with the legislative process. Christians must speak up to defend the place of faith in education, both in public and private life. This weekend – Sunday 21 September – is the deadline to respond to the Out of School Settings Consultation. This and the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill would have severe consequences for all Christian families. Whether they are home educating or not it is important that Christians present a united front on this issue.

Pray that our legislators see the issues before draconian state overreach damages the freedoms we still have in the UK to disciple our children as those who follow Christ. We are aware that some peers are willing to hear and share stories of state overreach to assist their opposition to this bill. Do let us know if you have any stories that would you be willing for us to pass on.

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