Religious Education is outdated, unpopular and opens the door to proselytising.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 But we don't think our schools need a dedicated subject to do this – especially a subject as out-of-date and as irrelevant as Religious Education (RE).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 calls for change as RE “least useful” subject again
Posted: Fri, 14 Jul 2023 10:29
The National Secular Society has called for a rethink of religious education as polls again reveal the subject's unpopularity.
A poll last month revealed religious education (RE) to be one of the least popular school subjects, with over a quarter (28%) of those surveyed naming RE the least useful subject. Twenty-six per cent said they would remove it from the school curriculum.
In contrast, 88% said more needs to be done to educate children on personal finance. Sixty-three per cent of teachers said managing money should be added to the school curriculum.
The findings, from a survey of 2,000 adults via OnePoll on behalf of Discount for Teachers, are consistent with other recent research on RE. Last year a YouGov poll found 58% of Brits consider it not very important (31%) or not at all important (27%) to teach religious studies at secondary school.
A separate survey last year found 34% of academies in England do not include RE on the school timetable.
RE in England is regularly criticised as out of date and failing to be broad, balanced and inclusive.
It is the only compulsory subject that is locally determined, largely by religious interest groups. It is even less balanced in faith schools, which teach the subject in accordance with the religion of the school.
Some proponents of RE have resisted attempts to make it more balanced, inclusive and relevant by replacing it with a 'religion and worldviews' subject, similar to recent reforms in Wales. Two practitioners recently announced the creation of the 'Religious Education Network', which "rejects the downgrading of religion into just another world-view".
NSS: Replace RE with "more relevant and useful" subject
NSS chief executive Stephen Evans said the latest statistics support the growing concern that RE is "an outdated and unpopular subject area with no clear educational rationale".
He said: "It's no surprise that teachers and the wider public are wondering whether it wouldn't be better to replace RE with a subject which teaches more relevant and useful skills to the next generation.
"There is value in children and young people learning about a plurality of religions and beliefs. But a subject dedicated to religion is not necessary to achieve this.
"Education about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship, moral and political virtues such as civility and tolerance, and respect for human rights including freedom of religion or belief, will nurture greater harmony and social cohesion. These values should be promoted throughout our state schools.
"An outdated model of RE isn't the appropriate vehicle for this."
Image: Dragana Gordic, Shutterstock
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."
