Has anyone removed their child from collective worship?

[playmobilpeacock]

I'm considering removing my child from collective worship after they came home and declared that 'god is definitely real, they tell us every week.'

Once a week there is a special assembly run by the local (evangelical) church and it's this assembly that I want them removing from.

I'm looking to hear the experience of anyone who has taken this step.

Rosehip, no school should be presenting religion as fact. I work in a church school and we present all religious ideas as beliefs, not facts. Nor do we expect all pupils and staff to adhere to these beliefs.

Of course it's your right to withdraw your children from collective worship, but I can't see your idea of withdrawing them from school (taking them home early when there is assembly) will get anywhere as the school will be expected to make alternative arrangements for their education at that time.

I think many schools would be perfectly happy not to have to make alternative arrangements and just have the children collected a little early. It wouldn't impact their attendance stats and would mean that the school wouldn't have to arrange supervision. Schools in this situation often seem to get the children to read in a corridor. It's hardly a vital part of their education, otherwise they'd be getting all of the children to sit reading in corridors rather than go to assembly.

I used to think this was something I would do, but I have decided against it. We prayed in every single assembly at the primary I went to and all the hymns were religious - yet I am an atheist. Sure, I thought God was real when I was very young in primary school, but by the end of it I was agnostic, and then when secondary school came I cemented myself to atheism.

I respect my parents for allowing me to make my own choice and hearing both sides. My own child may well come home saying she believes in God. Fine, why should I care? She wouldn't be hurting anyone and it's not for me to police such a personal belief. If she asks me, I won't lie about my own lack of belief, though - she will know I personally 'disagree' with the school on that issue.

There was only one girl who was removed from Christmas assemblies - she was a JW.

I guess... My whole school went to these assemblies but I highly doubt any more than 1/4 of them are still religious.

Just to update you, I had my meeting with the headteacher and we've decided to remove DC from the religious assembly but leave them in the general ones.

I'll see how this goes through the summer term and review in September.

The headteacher was a little defensive but it wasn't too awkward. He said that he constantly reviews these assemblies and tries to ensure they don't talk in absolutes but about personal belief.

Being a parent is so bloody stressful!

We are Jewish and very happy for our DC to attend the Christian based assembly and hymn practice.

They know we don't believe and nor do they. But it's a source of general knowledge about the primary faith in this country and I am glad they are receiving it.

We all had a sing along of Hymns in the car last week as we surprised the DC (and ourselves) of all the hymns we remembered from our primary years!

Besides, this is all great general knowledge for them for when they get on University Challenge

(That is just a little fantasy of mine).