The article headed “Religious review impeded by C of E” (TES, February 20) is misleading. The review of collective worship “impeded” was in fact funded by the Church of England Trusts. The Church of England’s board of education has also spent a considerable time over the past few years consulting with various bodies on collective worship and providing resources to support teachers.
What the three conferences revealed was that although there was an interest in the “new way forward”, it was so unclear what the outcomes might be that many bodies expressed an interest with reservations. The board of education view has been consistent. It believes spiritual development of pupils to be paramount and until it is clear what proposals can be made to affect a change in the law, and its consequences fully discussed, the board will not seek for a change.
When the board of education through its chairman, the Bishop of London, proposed the current legislation in the House of Lords during the progress of the Education Reform Act in 1988, the watchword was flexibility. Despite criticism the law appears to have worked well.
GEOFFREY DUNCAN
General Secretary The Church of England London SW1