CHAPEL In a recent article in The Times, John Sutton, the general secretary of the Secondary Heads' Association, wrote this: "A law which cannot be obeyed or enforced is a bad law, and should be amended. A bad law which is also counterproductive and frustrating needs that attention urgently. This is undoubtedly the case with regard to collective worship in Schools." John Sutton was drawing on his experience in the maintained sector, but he was addressing an issue which is of concern to all involved in education as we seek to promote the moral and spiritual development of the young people in our care. The Government regards collective worship as an important element in spiritual development, and it is this which is causing difficulties for many Schools — particularly in those maintained Schools which do not have the religious traditions (a Chapel and a Chaplain, for example) of many Schools in the independent sector. Sutton himself identifies some of the reasons for the difficulties: the growth of secularism; the development of a multi-faith and multi-cultural society; the raising of the school-leaving age; the contemporary emphasis on, and expectations about, the visual media; and the decline in the acceptance of authority. In addition to these reasons, the issue is further complicated by the question of whether anyone, child or adult, can be induced to worship simply because the law says so. Is not worship the free response of an individual to his or her perception of the reality of God? Moreover, the law seeks to promote the spiritual development of young people. Does spiritual development have any necessary connection with religious development? If not, why require worship (a religious activity)? Indeed, should compulsory worship (surely a contradiction in terms) have any place in a state-run education system?
But more needs to be said about compulsory Chapel. I offer four reasons: intellectual, cultural, ethical and spiritual. First, intellectual. It is my hope that what our pupils hear in Chapel encourages them — however grudgingly — to acknowledge that the question of God may not be quite the closed question many of them would wish to think. Theism is an intellectually credible option — and an option which, if adopted, has significant personal and social implications. In short, I hope that, intellectually, Chapel helps to keep open for our pupils the possibility of God. If there is a God, I take it to be self-evidently worthwhile that our pupils should be helped and encouraged to perceive that reality. Second, cultural. We live in a society whose cultural heritage is indisputably Christian. Art, architecture, literature, music, constitution, calendar — all these are rooted in the Christian story. I assume that knowledge of, and an ability to appreciate, our culture is a good thing, and I believe that the exposure to the Christian tradition which Chapel provides helps to deepen that knowledge and to enhance that ability. Third, ethical. One of the characteristic features of our society is moral relativism. Such an ethical position has tolerance as its chief virtue and encourages an "if it seems right to you, do it" approach to morality. I do not wish to enter here the subjective-object debate, but simply to say that the Christian tradition has rich resources to offer those who are willing to think seriously about moral issues. I believe that Chapel has an important part to play in helping our pupils to be aware of those resources. Fourth, spiritual. Man is a spiritual being. The Christian tradition would want to say that man's spiritual nature is that which enables him to perceive and relate to God. The experience of worship — its words, its music, its liturgy and its atmosphere — exposes pupils to that which is not only man's offering to God, but also one of the channels of God's grace to man. There can be no compulsory worship. But there can be opportunities to experience worship. In a School which aims, as St. Peter's does, to "encourage pupils to explore the spiritual dimension of human life within the context of the Christian tradition'', there is a proper place for giving our pupils the experience of worship. This year we have continued with the Sung Eucharist for the whole School on one morning each term, thereby giving pupils a regular experience of the central act of Christian worship. The Dean preached at Choral Evensong in the Christmas Term, and led a week's Chapel during the Summer Term. Major General Henry Woods gave the address at our Remembrance Service in November and the Bishop of Selby presided at our Confirmation Service in May. Lionel Stock, an ordinand at Lincoln Theological College, spent a week with us in September, and Brother William Nicol, from the
There are particular problems for many maintained Schools — size, religion and cultural mix and the absence of any requirement that the Head should profess a particular religious faith to name but three. Denominational Schools which have a religious requirement for entry are perhaps more easily able to provide opportunities for collective worship, and to use these to promote the spiritual and religious development of pupils which they would regard as one of their aims. Those of us who are privileged to teach, and to exercise Christian ministry in the independent sector, are also greatly helped by our School's religious traditions. These traditions should not, however, excuse us from the task of justifying on educational grounds the compulsory Chapel (a term which is surely more accurate than compulsory worship) which is a part of our life. So, why compulsory Chapel? It would be easy simply to say: "Because we have a Christian tradition here, and part of what we are about is to present the Christian faith to our pupils and to encourage them to respond to it." 20
