Национальное атеистическое общество призывает отменить обязательные молитвы в школах Уэльса

End school worship to uphold children’s rights, NSS urges committee Posted: Thu, 3rd Sep 2026 National Secular Society calls for Senedd committee to prioritise children's rights in education The National Secular Society has called upon a Senedd committee to lobby for the abolition of laws mandating worship in schools. Responding to a consultation by the Senedd Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee, the NSS called for the committee to prioritise the rights of children in education in its work. This includes abolishing laws requiring all schools to hold a daily act of collective worship that is 'broadly Christian' in character, including those which are nonreligious. Similar laws are in force throughout the UK. The NSS said imposing 'broadly Christian' worship is "entirely inappropriate" in a modern Welsh school, and undermines the rights of children and their families to freedom of religion or belief. The NSS highlighted last year's ruling of the Supreme Court in the 'JR87' case, which found collective worship in Northern Ireland to breach children's and parent's rights to freedom of religion or belief under the European Convention of Human Rights because it is not "objective, critical and pluralistic". The court also found the right of parents to withdraw children from collective worship is insufficient, because doing so could place "undue burden" on parents by exposing their nonreligious beliefs to the school community or leading them to being viewed as "difficult or awkward". The law in Wales is similar to that in Northern Ireland. In March, the NSS welcomed confirmation from the Welsh Government that it would be "reviewing, consulting on and updating the existing guidance on collective worship", following the JR87 judgment. The NSS also highlighted to the committee how collective worship laws facilitate school evangelism. It pointed to the case of Llanidloes High School in Powys, where headteacher Dan Owen explicitly justified his promotion of creationism and Christian belief on the basis of fulfilling collective worship requirements. The NSS response also highlighted the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child's repeated criticism of collective worship laws to successive UK governments. The NSS also told the committee that many pupils in Wales continue to be denied access to genuinely non-partisan and balanced education about religious and nonreligious worldviews, because faith schools are permitted to prioritise their own religious tradition in religion, values and ethics (RVE). Although faith schools are entitled to teach RVE from a confessional perspective, they must also to provide families with the option of RVE according to the locally agreed syllabus, which is more pluralistic than the faith-based alternative, should parents request it. The NSS also said faith schools should now longer be permitted to called for teach relationships and sexuality education (RSE) in accordance with the tenets of their religion. NSS research in 2018 found all secondary faith schools in Wales where a policy was obtainable taught RSE in accordance with a faith ethos, leading to the teaching of stigmatising and discriminatory attitudes about LGBT people, contraceptives and abortion. The NSS also called on the committee to protect the human rights of boys by working to end the harms caused by circumcision. NSS: Wales should pursue clear opportunity for reform National Secular Society spokesperson Jack Rivington said: "Laws mandating collective worship in schools are outdated, increasingly at odds with Wales' changing demographics, and incompatible with a genuine commitment to freedom of religion or belief. "Ending compulsory school worship would be a strong step forward for children's rights in Wales. The Supreme Court's decision in JR87 provides a clear opportunity for principled reform. We urge the Senedd Early Years, Children, Young People and Education Committee to pursue it." Join the NSS! Joining the NSS as a member is the best way to support our work. Become part of the movement for a freer, fairer, secular society. Sign up today for as little as £2.