This poster was placed in every school in England in 1870. It bans compulsory religious education (RE). I hope you can make out the print.
This was later overturned and RE became compulsory for all, with conscience clauses for those pupils not of the Church of England. These days state school RE is broad and not intended to propagate any one faith.
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It still tends to promote christianity and the compulsory daily religious assembly must be "broadly christian". Thankfully that legal requirement is often ignored.
@FreddieUK Christian headteachers have been known to attempt to deny parents their legal right to excuse their children from RE and the religious assembly.
@Sharon That's wrong. All children should have an understanding of the faiths that the people they encounter around them. There is much wilful ignorance pushed out on-line and school should be a place for dispassionate learning. However, as a Christian, I would never force anyone to pray or 'worship' against their will. Our Catholics had no problem being in the school assembly, only the JWs withdrew.
@FreddieUK As Pagans, we withdrew our children from the christian religious assembly and RE when it was clear the "born again" christian headteacher was attempting to indoctrinate the children with christianity. We allowed them to attend RE in secondary school where they could learn about other religions.
