Students at a Catholic school in Lund have mandatory attendance at prayer. This is now being criticized by the School Inspectorate, reports Sydsvenskan.
Once a month, a joint assembly is held with prayer and hymn singing led by a deacon. According to the school's rules, students do not have to pray – but they must be present, unless they have special needs or have submitted a certificate from their guardian stating that they should not participate.
The School Inspectorate believes that this contradicts the requirements of the Education Act, which stipulates that confessional elements must be separated from the rest of the education. In the future, the school must inform both guardians and students in writing that attendance at prayer is voluntary, according to the School Inspectorate's decision.
