Religious Education is outdated, unpopular and opens the door to proselytising.
There are many more subjects children and young people need to learn.
It's time to replace RE with something more appropriate for 21st century students.
It is important for children and young people to learn about different religions and beliefs. But we don't think our schools need a dedicated subject to do this – especially a subject as out-of-date and as irrelevant as Religious Education (RE).
Surveys consistently show RE is one of the least popular school subjects, an indication of its increasing irrelevance.
58% of British adults think religious studies is unimportant at secondary schools. And a quarter of England's secondary schools do not offer RE.
Unlike any other compulsory subject, RE is determined at a local level in England. In each local authority the agreed syllabus for RE is determined by committees representing the Church of England and other religion and belief groups, as well as the local authority and teacher's groups.
As a result, schools not only face a local lottery regarding what their RE syllabus will contain; they will have to teach a subject under significant control from religious interest groups. These groups are strongly motivated to ensure their religion is represented in an overwhelmingly positive light. The current arrangements mean the subject lacks objectivity.
Many faith schools don't even need to follow the locally agreed syllabus and can instead teach religion from their own exclusive viewpoint.
A new nationally-determined civics and citizenship subject could encompass teaching about religious and nonreligious worldviews and allow students to consider moral and ethical issues. Religion and belief could also be explored in other relevant areas of the curriculum.
In Wales, RE has recently been replaced with Religions, Values and Ethics (RVE). While we welcome this broader and more inclusive subject, problems remain regarding the influence of religious groups and exceptions allowing faith schools to teach confessional RE.
We need a reformed subject to ensure education about religion and belief is broad, balanced and proportionate.
We've created a series of resources – Exploring Secularism – for anyone wishing to explore issues of religion, belief, ethics, and worldviews in schools. The resources aim to provide teachers with the material they need to engage with secularism in an informed way.
As British society considers how to respond to greater religious diversity and growing irreligiosity, it is become increasingly important for children and young people to develop their understanding of the interaction between religion, society, and politics. The study of secularism explores this interaction, together with questions about how we balance freedom of, and from, religion with other rights.
Take action!
1. Write to your MP
Support our campaign to ensure every pupil has the same entitlement to high quality, non-partisan education about religious and non-religious worldviews.
2. Share your story
Tell us why you support this campaign, and how you are personally affected by the issue. You can also let us know if you would like assistance with a particular issue.
3. Join us
Become a member of the National Secular Society today! Together, we can separate religion and state for greater freedom and fairness.
Latest updates
NSS gives evidence to Senedd committee over Welsh curriculum reform
Posted: Fri, 16 Oct 2020 09:52
The National Secular Society has called for children's rights to be prioritised over religious interests in the formulation of a new curriculum for Wales in evidence to the Senedd.
The NSS's head of education Alastair Lichten made the call as he gave evidence to the Senedd's children, young people and education committee on Thursday, alongside representatives from Humanists UK.
The committee is currently considering legislation for a new curriculum for Wales, which is set to replace religious education with a new subject – religion, values and ethics (RVE).
The plans would continue to allow faith schools to teach the subject from a religious perspective, though they will be required to offer a pluralistic RVE course where parents request it.
Mr Lichten welcomed the ambition behind the proposals but warned that concessions to faith groups risked undermining the attempt to fulfil it.
"The ambition that all children in Wales have access to critical, pluralistic RVE was a really important and positive part of the new curriculum project. It's concerning and sad to see any effort to water that down.
"If we start from a child's rights perspective, rather than religious interests or the faith schools lobby's preferences, then it's very hard to justify children not having that entitlement."
Elsewhere he:
- Commented on the potential removal of parents' right to withdraw their children from RVE. He said this would be likely to be subject to a legal challenge if RVE was still taught through a religious lens to families who did not want that.
- Criticised the continuation of SACREs – bodies which determine RE curricula at a local level – and the failure to consider the requirement to hold collective worship as part of the new curriculum.
- Expressed support for plans to introduce comprehensive, rights-based relationships and sexuality education (RSE), but also voiced concerns over faith schools' ability to teach the subject through a religious lens.
- Said it was "insulting" to LGBT pupils, non-religious pupils or pupils from LGBT and non-religious families to suggest some schools could opt out of mentioning issues relevant to them in the curriculum.
The NSS is lobbying the Welsh government in an attempt to ensure its religion, values and ethics curriculum is genuinely pluralistic and balanced.
The society is urging supporters in Wales to write to their Senedd members over the proposals.
- Watch the evidence in full (starts after 1 hour 26 minutes).
- Transcript of evidence sessions
Image: Witnesses before the committee's session on Thursday. Alastair Lichten is at the top, in the centre.
NSS urges Senedd to back curriculum reforms
Posted: Fri, 25 Sep 2020 10:07
The National Secular Society has urged a Senedd education committee to back new legislation to reform religious studies and sex education in Wales.
The NSS's call came in response to a call for evidence from the children, young people and education committee of the Welsh Senedd which is examining the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Bill. The NSS is due to give evidence to the committee in October.
Among wide ranging changes, the legislation will introduce comprehensive, rights-based Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) and the option for critical, pluralistic Religion, Values and Ethics (RVE) in all schools.
The Welsh government says the reforms are intended to give "all learners equal opportunity to receive a broad and balanced education".
Plans don't go far enough
While supporting these aims, the NSS has criticised plans to allow faith schools to continue to teach these subjects through a faith ethos.
The submission argues that under current proposals, many pupils will continue to be denied access to genuinely non-partisan and balanced education about religion and belief.
It calls on the committee to push for the duty on schools to teach pluralistic RVE to be extended to all schools, regardless of religious designation.
Although schools with a religious designation will be free to teach a denominational syllabus, they will however be required to offer a pluralistic RVE syllabus, where parents request it.
The Catholic Church is lobbying Senedd members to remove this requirement.
The submission also warns that plans to introduce inclusive, comprehensive, accurate and rights based RSE will be undermined by concessions allowing faith schools to teach RSE through a religious ethos.
'Advancement for children's rights'
NSS head of education Alastair Lichten said: "By prioritising the interests of children and young people over those of reactionary religious groups, members of the Senedd can ensure these reforms are a significant advancement for children's rights.
"If the ambition is for every child to have universal entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum, a duty on all schools to teach an objective, critical, and pluralistic RVE and RSE syllabus, without exception, must be the starting point.
"Much of the existing legislation surrounding the curriculum dates from before devolution and reflects English policy makers' religious deference. A curriculum for Wales in the 21st century requires legislation crafted in Wales, by its elected representatives in this century."
Notes
The NSS has been actively engaged in discussions regarding the new curriculum and has played a key role in ensuring that secularism will be included among the core concepts to be covered.
The NSS has previously submitted constructive responses to all consultations the surrounding the reforms, including:
- Legislative proposals for religion, values and ethics in the Curriculum for Wales Framework
- Ensuring access to the full curriculum
- A transformational curriculum – proposals for a new legislative framework
- Draft guidance on relationships and sexuality education
The committee's consultation runs until Tuesday 29 September. You can find more information on this consultation and the RVE proposals on our dedicated campaign page.
Listen to our recent podcast on the issue
