Collective Worship and Religious Observance in Schools

Peter Cumper/Alison Mawhinney: Introduction: Collective Worship and Religious Observance in Context – Peter Cumper/Julia Ipgrave: Collective Worship in England – Aideen Hunter/Norman Richardson: Collective Worship in Northern Ireland’s Schools – Claire Cassidy/Frankie McCarthy: Religious Observance in Scotland – Alison Mawhinney/Ann Sherlock: Collective Worship in Wales – Alison Mawhinney: The Law on Collective School Worship: The Rationale Then and Now – Frankie McCarthy: Dynamic Self-determinism, the Right to Belief and the Role of Collective Worship – Ann Sherlock: Religious Observance and Collective Worship in Schools: A Human Rights Perspective – Jacqueline Watson: The Contribution of Collective Worship to Spiritual Development – Claire Cassidy: Philosophy with Children: An Alternative to Religious Observance – Julia Ipgrave/Farid Panjwani: Collective Worship and Theology: Issues and Questions – Norman Richardson/Aideen Hunter: Educational Perspectives on School Collective Worship: Beyond Obituary – Mary Elizabeth Moore: Collective Worship and Religious Observance in UK Schools: Questions and Possibilities – Ina ter Avest: Embracing Otherness in Supporting Community: A Plea from a Pedagogical Perspective for Experiential Learning in Dialogicality – Geir Skeie: Common Symbols in a Diverse School for All: Collective Worship Seen from a Scandinavian Perspective.

«An important achievement: ‹important› in addressing increasingly controversial issues, ‹achievement› in bringing legal and education experts together. Since the 1944 Education Act introduced a requirement for daily acts of collective worship in schools, society has become increasingly secular and diverse. How to reconcile such diversity with aspirations of many to maintain a religious perspective? This is essential reading.» (Professor Richard Pring, Department of Education, University of Oxford)



«At a time when the place of religion in education is under unprecedented scrutiny, this book offers a timely examination of the law, practice and policy governing collective worship and religious observance in schools throughout the UK. Written by well-qualified legal and educational specialists, it offers a valuable interdisciplinary perspective that is sure to inform and help shape the direction of future education policy.» (Professor Ian Leigh, Durham Law School)