Religious Education is outdated, unpopular and opens the door to proselytising.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 But we don't think our schools need a dedicated subject to do this – especially a subject as out-of-date and as irrelevant as Religious Education (RE).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
Church plans to use schools to drive conversion of children
Posted: Tue, 4 Jul 2023 12:04
The Church of England has unveiled plans to use schools to drive recruitment of children and young people to Christianity.
In a document published on Friday, the Church said "courageous structural shifts in thinking and practice in education" will "contribute to the Church's vision to double the number of children and young people who are active Christian disciples by 2030".
The Church, which is embroiled in safeguarding scandals, has seen a dramatic decrease in membership, particularly among young people. The 2019 British Social Attitudes survey found just one per cent of 18-24 year olds in Britain belong to the CofE. Overall, less than 1% of adults in England regularly attend CofE services.
Education "central to the mission of the wider diocese"
The document recommends government leaders "further deepen the mutual partnership between church and state, at national, regional and local level, to enable the ongoing flourishing of church schools for coming generations".
It calls for dioceses to "provide an ambitious and expansive vision" for the role of the Church in education. This includes "the creation of new models of church in schools, which provide opportunities for children and adults to develop their journey of faith, through well planned pathways to discipleship".
"By creating and embedding strategic partnerships between churches and schools across the diocese, children, young people and their families can have the opportunity to grow in faith," it says.
It says diocesan leaders should ensure education is "central to the mission of the wider diocese", and should pay particular regard to religious education and collective worship.
The document says the Church's vision for education is "not just for Church schools" and that the Church will "continue to embrace vibrant partnerships with all major education institutions".
It adds that the Church "has a particular responsibility" to "safeguard the distinctive vision of its schools".
It also says school trust leaders should "celebrate equity, diversity, belonging, inclusion and justice". But many Church of England schools' admissions policies discriminate against children whose families do not belong to the Church. Research in 217 found one in four dioceses advise their schools to reserve some places on faith grounds. In 2013, the Fair Admissions Campaign found Church of England comprehensives whose admissions criteria allow full selection of faith admit 35% fewer children eligible for free school meals.
The Church has also been criticised recently for its homophobic and sexist policies.
Last month the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) urged the UK to repeal compulsory collective worship laws and end the religious selection practised in faith schools.
NSS: 'Church regards our schools as mission fields'
National Secular Society head of campaigns Megan Manson said: "The Church has made it clear that it regards our education system as a mission field. Its latest plans reveal it wants to cynically use the state education system, which citizens of all faiths and beliefs pay for, to boost its plunging membership figures.
"Its desire to form even deeper links to the state can only further undermine secular democracy.
"These plans are highly inappropriate in such a diverse society, where Christians are now a minority.
"The government should stop giving the Church a free hand to pursue its own self-serving agenda in publicly funded schools. The purpose of such schools should be to educate, rather than inculcate pupils into a particular faith.
"And it should work separate Church and state rather than further entrench these ties."
Barring humanists from RE committees is discriminatory, court rules
Posted: Tue, 30 May 2023 13:58
Local advisory committees on religious education may not exclude humanists, the High Court has found.
In a landmark ruling on Friday, the High Court determined that Kent County Council acted unlawfully in barring a humanist from joining a Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) as a full member.
Judge Adam Constable quashed the council's decision, finding it in breach of Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights which prohibits discrimination.
The case was raised by Stephen Bowen, a humanist with 'observer status' on Kent SACRE which meant he did not have voting rights.
SACREs oversee the agreed syllabus for religious education – the only part of the curriculum which is locally determined. All community schools, voluntary controlled schools and foundation schools must follow the agreed syllabus.
In 2021, Bowen requested full membership of Kent SACRE alongside religious representatives, which would give him voting rights. The council voted to refuse, arguing that religious representatives could not include members of non-religious belief communities.
According to Humanists UK, which supported Bowen, 66 SACREs have humanist full members.
Bowden argued that the Census 2021 found there are more humanists in Kent than members of the Baha'i religion, which did have a representative on the SACRE.
The judge found that the agreed syllabus "must include non-religious worldviews".
He said it was "clearly discriminatory to exclude" someone from full membership "solely by reference to the fact that their belief, whilst appropriate to be included within the agreed syllabus for religious education, is a non-religious, rather than a religious, belief".
He concluded that Kent County Council's discriminatory interpretation of the law regarding SACRE membership "is manifestly without reasonable foundation and not justifiable".
He added: "Indeed, it is antithetical to what the provisions can sensibly be considered as aiming to achieve, when that aim is now to be realised in light of the fact that 'religious education' must include some teaching of non-religious beliefs".
NSS: Case 'shines light on unsustainable and anachronistic RE'
Megan Manson, head of campaigns at the National Secular Society, said: "This is a welcome ruling, and not only because it establishes non-religious worldviews have a place in religious education and the committees which advise RE.
"It also emphasises that non-religious people are just as entitled to protection from discrimination as religious people. This is important to reiterate, as too often the principles of religious freedom and equality are narrowly and wrongly interpreted to exclude the non-religious.
"The case also shines a light on the unsustainable and anachronistic nature of religious education. A locally determined subject largely controlled by religious interest groups is inappropriate in 21st century schools. Reform is clearly more necessary than ever."
