Schools 'should have spiritual dimension'

A senior cleric has warned that laws which make collective worship no longer compulsory for those over 16 will mean that education is too "narrowly focused", those with jobs in education may be interested to hear.

Writing in the Times Educational Supplement, the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, said that the legislation would risk schools becoming too centred on personal attainment rather than more spiritual matters.

Dr Morgan added that younger pupils could also be affected: "The value of this daily focal point for a school community will hardly be acknowledged by pupils lower down the school if those whom they look up to in the sixth form choose not to attend."

The legislation affects Welsh schools and is designed to bring the curriculum in line with England's, where collective worship in sixth-forms has been on an opt-out basis since 2007.

According to the Education and Inspections Act 2006, the right for sixth-form pupils to excuse themselves from daily worship came into force on February 9th this year.

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