by Eleanor Harding, Daily Mail
More than half of state secondaries now do not have songs in assembly because pupils think it is ‘not cool’, research suggests.
A survey of 10,000 teachers found 57 per cent of those in state secondaries said their pupils never sang together in assembly.
Meanwhile, just over a third – 36 per cent – reported having no choir.
[…] James Manwaring, president of the Music Teachers Association – which represents music teachers across both state and private schools – said every school should have a choir.
He added: ‘All you need is a room and you need someone to lead it.’
It comes amid a debate over whether schools should continue to promote Christian songs in assemblies.
In the 1980s, classics such as Lord of the Dance and All Things Bright and Beautiful were common features in many schools.
Legally, schools are still obliged to provide an act of ‘collective worship’ that is ‘broadly Christian’ every day – although many opt out or simply ignore this.
In 2022, a number of teaching leaders called for the requirement to be dropped, calling it ‘archaic’ due to the fall in the popularity of Christianity.