Mr McConnell wants a more modern approach

A report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education shows that two out of three of them are failing to do so.

The last set of guidelines issued to schools were published in 1991.

At that time, school assembly would have been widely regarded as a Christian act of worship.

Mr McConnell said that in today's multi-cultural society it is time to debate the nature of appropriate religious observance and find an appropriate balance.

He said: "The last thing we want to have in Scottish schools is an assembly first thing in the morning where 15-year-old boys are forced to sing hymns and then cause chaos for the next two hours in the classroom because they are so disgruntled by what happened in the first 15 minutes of the day."

Senior schools inspector Douglas Osler said the findings of his report showed current religious guidelines were out of date and needed to be modernised.

'Spiritual dimension'

He said: "There is a place for bringing pupils together as a community on a regular basis to encourage them to develop their own spiritual dimension, their own values and to celebrate the values of their family, school and community.

"We need a debate on this issue in order to find ways to help schools provide religious observance in ways which are meaningful in today's society and cultural context."

Mr McConnell has set up a review group to look at how to improve the situation.

It is expected to publish its recommendations next year.