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Original poster

Should we start a campaign to bring back singing in school assemblies?

114 replies

PaulaYatesBiggestFan · 01/02/2008 21:34

I LOVE hymn singing and find it very uplifting on the rare occasions i get to do it!

Would it benefit children to bring it back...?

following on from 'The Choir' i feel inspired

Teachers is this possible or just not worth thinking about?

OP posts:
Blandmum · 02/02/2008 10:11

We have whole school assembly twice a year. We don't have anywhere big enough to bring al the kids in together. They have a house assembly once a fortnight and a year assembly once a fortnight.

No singing in either

Blu · 02/02/2008 14:16

I am suddenly revising my state school secondary plans for DS.

I think the whole school should be able to gather in one hall, and SING! Regularly! So that they don't get out of the habit and come to regard it as lame.

pointydog · 02/02/2008 14:57

If you make 'em do it at school, they will definitely regard it as lame.

pointydog · 02/02/2008 14:58

Have singstar competitions. That'll get them singing.

Blandmum · 02/02/2008 15:29

Blu, we have 1300 kids in school. It takes us over 30 minutes to get the little buggers into full school assembly and almost as long to get them out again. And we have to do it in the gym, because we don't have a hall big enough, or have chairs for them to use, we have to take them from clasrooms. The logistics of getting them all in together are horrific and take forever

fircone · 02/02/2008 20:15

It's such a shame most kids don't sing in assembly any more.

I sang two hymns in assembly every day from the age of 5 to 18. State primary and grammar. Did it turn me into a religious nut? No. Did any of my non-Christian friends or their parents object? No.

It was community singing, and it's part of our heritage, which shouldn't be shovelled under the carpet.

I realised this past year that ds, 9, knew NO carols, and I set about teaching him a few. We belted out Good King Wenceslas round the piano , but I wish he had the opportunity to sing with a whole host of others.

The school's answer is, "Oh, if you want your dcs to sing hymns, take them to church" which would be all very well if they sang anything else, but they don't.

Sorry - long rant!

pointydog · 02/02/2008 20:36

most kids do sing in assembly in primaries. Unless it doesn't happen near you

soapbox · 02/02/2008 20:40

My DCs sing in assembly - I think you might just be the odd one out. Ask the school, since it looks like they have implemented the no singing thing, rather than it being a general 'rule'.

fizzbuzz · 02/02/2008 21:21

But what would all the Muslims, Seiks, Jews, Buddhists (We have a big Korean, and Chinese intake) sing.

Not all schools are just white/Christian

southeastastra · 02/02/2008 21:27

yes! i just asked my ds(14) if they did and he said no

we did everyday, the choir show last night proved that it does make a difference to children's outlooks

Blu · 03/02/2008 11:22

MartianBishop - exactly - schools are so huge, and spaces in them not adequate - imo!

Fizzbuzz - the singing doesn't have to be of hymns!

CaptainCod · 03/02/2008 11:38

DPNT you sing?
we sing

CaptainCod · 03/02/2008 11:38

adn we aint even a church school

CaptainCod · 03/02/2008 11:39

and regards cMPAIGN I THINK THERE ARE FAR MORE SERIOUS THIGNS TO WRRY ABOUT

Blu · 03/02/2008 12:41

I think it's secondary schools where signing has been abandoned, not primary schools.

Countingthegreyhairs · 03/02/2008 12:55

I think it's a great idea - there is always more serious stuff to worry about - but doesn't diminish validity of this; it's still important imo

MicrowaveOnly · 03/02/2008 13:00

Depends very much what they are singing - forcing children to 'praise god' for 10mins every day is not a sensible use of time methinks.

Something neutral would be fine, but what??

fizzbuzz · 03/02/2008 13:08

Yes, thats what I wondered Microwave. What would they sing?

Blu · 03/02/2008 13:13

There are some FANTASTIC S African songs from 'the struggles', lots of 'call and response' songs from around the world, all of which have been adopted with vigour by yp I have worked with.

Cod - of course there's always something bigger to worry about, but in an inner-city environment where (paradoxically, given the cheeck-by-jowl nature of housing) so many teenagers have any sense of community, I thnk singing in big groups gives real sense of belonging that is missing in lots of big schools. It is good for their lungs, good for the endorphins, and a good antidote to the constant detrutive effect of 'too cool to do anything except slouch and mutter'.

IMO.

And as for this 'chairs' business - we used to sit on the floor up until Yr 10, when we graduated to benches, and then chiars at the back in the 6th form.

itsahardknocklife · 03/02/2008 13:25

God I loved the singing - even though my singing is AWFUL! I would belt it out at top volume just to annoy people!
It's been 12 years since I left school and I can still remember some...

..COLOURS OF DAY DAWN INTO THE MIND, THE SUN HAS COME UP, THE NIGHT IS BEHIND, GO DOWN IN THE CITY AND INTO THE STREET, AND LET'S GIVE THE MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE WE MEET

(altogether now)

SO LIGHT UP THE FIRE AND LET THE FLAME BURN, OPEN THE DOOR, LET JESUS RETURN, TAKE SEEDS OF HIS SPIRIT, LET THE FRUIT GROW, TELL THE PEOPLE OF JESUS, LET HIS LOVE SHOW...

[blsuh] I'll go away now...

islandofsodor · 03/02/2008 13:28

Absoluteley, not necessarily in assembly but lets bring back singing into the school curriculum.

I was at the Singposium conference last year where that boys choir gave their first public performance. it was great to see their new found enthusiasm. However Gareth Malone did talk a lot of codswallop compared to some of the other inspiring teachers and practioners present that some, some of whose workshops I was priveleged to attend.

The sad fact is that many teachers are so unconfident of their own singing voices that they feel unable, even at primary level to lead the children. There was one fantastic primary teacher from somewhere like Bolton I think who told how she had turned things around in her school, but it was only possible with the support and agreement of her head and specialist support from the LEA.

It is very sad that in many schools music is taught from uninspiring books like Music Express and singing is to backing tracks only. Now don't get me wrong, I use backing tracks myself, they have their place, but singing unaccompanied has a host of benefits.

Every school needs a specialist music teacher who can lead singing in my opinion.

itsahardknocklife · 03/02/2008 13:29

Yes indeed - and an old lady teacher to play the piano. It's a tradition that should carry on.

nappyaddict · 03/02/2008 13:31

i don't think they should sing hymns but it would be nice to sing some sort of a song to start the day. my school did but it was a private school and i can't imagine not singing in assembly.

Countingthegreyhairs · 03/02/2008 13:58

... there's loads of resources out there ...OUP 'Songs for Schools' series are great - they introduce children to singing in rounds, singing in parts ..first concepts of reading music etc.

singing in a foreign language is a great non-scary way to practice communicating in another language

Blandmum · 03/02/2008 14:01

there is a campain already running to promote singing in schools, the wonderful Howard Goddall is heading it up

I will google for details