The whole school would gather in the big hall. Because there were so many of us all the pupils used to sit on the floor because there was no room for chairs to accommodate everyone; or even enough time to put the chairs out in rows like a cinema, and then take them away after Assembly.
My job, as a lead pupil, was to organise two other pupils to stand at the door and hand out hymn books to all coming in, and to collect them afterwards.
All the teachers stood/and sat on chairs, on the big stage up front. The hall was used as a theatre when we had plays or concerts.
Every morning at Assembly we waited for the Head Master to come in and walk all the way up front and walk up the stage from the side and stand in the middle of the stage. At that point we would all stand up and sing the hymn for the day. The music teacher played the piano.
After the hymn there was a Bible reading. Then school announcements, then another hymn. And so we left in an orderly fashion to our classrooms. The whole event lasted about 15 minutes.
Every day started with a Christian based assembly.
Now ... ... ...
I wonder how much Christianity is really taught in schools. Not much I am told. In a lot of businesses it is forbidden to talk religion at work. I know it was so when I worked in London; it was frowned upon.
Some youngsters get Christian teaching in church either on Sundays or in preparation for certain events like First Communion, Confirmation or such. However, I read somewhere that in the UK regular church attendance is about 5% of the population.
So I ask myself: Who will teach them?
If there is a generation growing up with little if any Christian education; how will they grow up with Christian values and principles? How will they teach the next generation after them about God and Christianity?
I know of several people who not only have they stopped going to church, or believing altogether, having been brought up as Christians; but they have also not bothered to pass on the Christian beliefs which their parents instilled in them to their off-springs.
Their attitude is that their children will have to make up their own minds on what to believe when they grow up.
