21st Century RE for All
We want every pupil to have the same entitlement to high quality, non-partisan education about religion and belief. We want to see all schools preparing young people for life in modern Britain by teaching pupils about the diversity of religious and non-religious worldviews.
We're campaigning for an end to the arbitrariness and unfairness of local determination in Religious Education and for a national religion and belief education syllabus as part of the National Curriculum.
What’s the problem?
Religious education is out of date and in need of reform. Almost thirty years after the introduction of a national curricular entitlement for all pupils, one subject remains exempt – religious education. Unlike any other compulsory subject RE is determined at a local level.
In each local authority the local agreed syllabus for religious education (RE) is determined by 'Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education' (SACREs), largely made up of religious representatives, with non-religious representatives either excluded or barred from voting.
Even worse, many faith schools don't even need to follow the locally agreed syllabus, and can instead teach their own syllabus and teach religion from their own exclusive viewpoint.
If there is a body of knowledge called 'Religious Education', which is worthy of being taught at all, it should be offered to all children wherever they live. There are simply no grounds for discriminating on grounds of geographic location or school type. If a programme of study covering religion and belief deserves to be included in the school curriculum, it should be offered to all as a basic entitlement for every future citizen. This is simply a matter of fundamental justice and equality.
Importantly, the subject must be broad, balanced and inclusive. Religious interest groups should no longer determine what gets taught. As with other subjects, the syllabus should be nationally determined by independent educationalists without an agenda motivated by a specific religion or belief.
"The structures that underpin the local determination of the RE curriculum have failed to keep pace with changes in the wider educational world. As a result, many local authorities are struggling to fulfil their responsibility to promote high-quality religious education"
OFSTED report 'Religious Education: Realising the Potential'
Get involved
With the General Election coming up, as a nation we're thinking about our future. Please consider asking your candidate to support common sense secular reforms — such as reforming religion and belief education — that will make our society, education system, and laws fairer for all.
It’s time to take religious education in schools out of the hands of religious councils. Support a national entitlement to high quality, non-partisan education about religion and belief.
Sign the petition-
A selection of comments from the petition. Supporters on what this campaign means to them and the need to reform religion and belief education.
Find out more
NSS submission to the Commission on Religious Education
We’ve called on the Commission to support pupils’ basic entitlement to non-partisan education about religion and belief, and an end to RE controlled by religious groups or faith schools.
Religious Education and the law
RE is a statutory part of the basic curriculum in all schools, but is often shaped by local religious groups and faith schools.
Your rights: Withdrawal from RE and Collective Worship
We advocate comprehensive non-partisan reform of religion and belief education and an end to compulsory worship in schools, so no one has to withdraw from any part of the school day.
Why Religious Education must be reformed before ending parental opt-out
The right to withdraw from RE may sometimes be problematic, but is still necessary when until vestiges of confessionalism, proselytization and poor practice remain.
Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education
Dominated by religious representatives, SACREs determine the RE syllabus at a local level.
Related news and opinion
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."
Religious education reform bill advances in parliament
Posted: Mon, 6 Feb 2023 14:50
A bill that would require schools to teach non-religious worldviews in religious education has advanced in the House of Lords.
The Education (Non-religious Philosophical Convictions) Bill would rename religious education (RE) "religion and worldviews" (RW) and require most state funded schools to teach non-religious worldviews alongside religious ones.
Voluntary-aided schools with a religious character would be exempt from the changes.
According to its creator, Baroness Burt of Solihull, the bill would bring the syllabus in line with legal requirements under the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) and English case law.
During a House of Lords debate on Friday, Burt cited the 2015 case of Fox v Secretary of State for Education, in which the court held: "The State must accord equal respect to different religious convictions, and to non-religious beliefs: it is not entitled to discriminate between religions and beliefs on a qualitative basis".
"Too many schools, and too many locally agreed syllabuses, still fail to afford equal respect to non-religious worldviews", she noted.
This is despite 2010 government guidance on RE which states: "Pupils should have the opportunity to learn that there are those who do not hold religious beliefs and have their own philosophical perspectives, and subject matter should facilitate integration and promotion of shared values".
Unlike any other mandatory subject, RE syllabuses are locally determined through Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education (SACREs). While they have the option to include non-religious worldviews, this is not mandatory. Some SACREs exclude representatives of non-religious worldviews, such as humanism, or deny them voting rights.
Under the bill, it would be compulsory for SACREs to include non-religious representatives.
Baroness Burt also invoked Article 2 of the First Protocol of the ECHR, which requires schools to provide religious education in line with the philosophical views of students' parents. Last year, the High Court in Northern Ireland ruled a near exclusive focus on Christianity in RE and collective worship constituted a human rights violation.
The bill's approach has been endorsed by both the Religious Education Council of England and Wales and the most recent commission on RE, chaired by the then Dean of Westminster. It is already being implemented in Wales under the name "Religion, Values and Ethics".
The bill enjoyed support from both non-religious and religious peers alike. Lord Griffiths of Bury, former president of the Methodist Conference, said it was long overdue that "we Christians put our faith out into the marketplace, where it can hold its own or not according to the interplay of forces and realities that exist in the real world that we live in."
Baroness Uddin, who is a Muslim, said the current "majority Christian environment" is "inflexible and polarised", leaving children who do not share that belief "isolated" and marginalised. Baroness Bakewell said the 2021 Census results, which show Christianity is now a minority religion in England and Wales, highlighted the need for reform.
Lord Cashman said current RE provision falls short of the "critical and pluralistic" approach required by case law and that we have "everything to gain from a wide education".
The Bishop of Southwark, opposing the bill, said it was "a failure of … intellect" to not "support the role of religion in public life".
Speaking on behalf of the government, Baroness Barran said: "Christianity remains the most common response in the census, and it is therefore appropriate that religious education in schools without a religious designation should continue to be, in the main, of a broadly or wholly Christian nature".
The bill will now be scrutinised by the entire chamber at the Committee Stage.
NSS: 'Reform is now long overdue'
NSS campaigns officer Alejandro Sanchez said: "Welsh schoolchildren are already reaping the benefits of a more critical and pluralistic approach in the new Religion, Values and Ethics curriculum.
"Their English counterparts should be equally entitled to an education that puts religious and non-religious views on an equal footing.
"Christianity is now a minority religion in England. That it continues to dominate religious education in our schools is completely untenable.
"Reform is now long overdue."
Image: Dragana Gordic, Shutterstock
Study: Nonreligious children excluded in religious education
Posted: Wed, 7 Dec 2022 07:59
Nonreligious children may find religious education lessons "excluding", researchers have found.
A recent study published in Journal of Religious Education concluded religious education (RE) "needs to change" in order to meet the needs of nonreligious pupils.
The study, which was based on interviews with children, parents and teachers at three primary schools in England, said finding "ways to better engage" nonreligious children in RE is an "urgent task", as they represent "the new normal" in the UK's religious landscape.
The 2021 Census revealed that for the first time, less than half the population in England and Wales are Christian (46%), while the number of those without a religion has risen to 37%, making this the second largest religion or belief group.
RE is the only compulsory subject in England that is locally determined and is largely controlled by religious interest groups on the committees which determine the syllabus, even in nonreligious schools. Representatives of nonreligious worldviews are often excluded or denied voting rights on RE committees. Schools with a religious character must teach RE in accordance with the beliefs of the religion or denomination of the school.
In Wales, RE has been renamed 'religion, values and ethics' and must teach religious and non-religious worldviews.
RE 'violating' children's sense of "equality and fairness"
The researchers said many nonreligious children are "not being given meaningful opportunities to explore their own worldviews". They found debates about religion in RE are "perhaps more likely to exclude those children" who find questions about belief in God are "of little relevance".
One pupil said being nonreligious was not discussed in RE, which made her feel "not really cared about". Other children at the same school also expressed that they would like nonreligious viewpoints to be included in RE.
Some children had "inhibitions" around discussing their own perspectives in RE due to "worries that sharing their views might risk disrespecting others".
Social justice, equality and the environment were issues "of considerably more salience" for nonreligious children than belief or non-belief in gods, the researchers found.
Children's views included the idea that everyone "should be able to determine their own beliefs", that everyone "should be treated equally regardless of belief".
RE could therefore be experienced as "violating their own commitment to principles of equality and fairness", the researchers said.
Some teachers described organised religion as "hypocritical" or "immoral", especially on issues related to gender and sexuality. Some pupils also expressed that their rejection of religion related to gender equality.
The researchers said their findings support proposals to include nonreligious worldviews in the curriculum, which "can give pupils a vocabulary through which to be able to express their worldviews in a way that is currently not happening for many".
NSS: "More radical reforms" needed than simply including nonreligious worldviews
NSS head of campaigns Megan Manson said: "This study suggests RE in England needs a fundamental rethink.
"Ensuring nonreligious worldviews are included would be a start. But more radical reforms are needed to meet the needs of children today.
"The research demonstrated many children are far more interested in issues relating to social justice which are pertinent to their everyday experiences.
"Schools urgently need a subject that will allow pupils to explore these topics – without forcing them through the prism of religion, which for many pupils is alienating and irrelevant.
"A new civics or citizenship subject, where objective and balanced education about religion is included but does not dominate, would enhance pupils' engagement and understanding of some of the most important yet difficult social issues they will confront as they grow up."
Most Brits don’t think secondary school RE is important, poll finds
Posted: Thu, 20 Oct 2022 13:56
Over half of British adults do not think it is important for religious education to be taught in secondary schools.
Almost three-fifths (58%) of British adults said religious studies is "not very important" (31%) or "not at all important (27%) in secondary education, in response to a YouGov poll in October.
The findings come in the wake of RE Policy Unit analysis earlier this year which showed 34% of academies do not include RE on the school timetable. Furthermore, 500 secondary schools are teaching zero hours of dedicated RE in Year 11.
Previous polling found out of a list of 18 subjects, respondents ranked religious studies 15th in terms of being important (40%), with only drama, classics and Latin being positioned lower.
Criticism of RE in England
The National Secular Society has consistently warned RE is out of date and often fails to be broad, balanced and inclusive.
Current legislation dates back to 1944 and requires schools with a religious character to teach RE in accordance with the beliefs of the religion or denomination of the school.
RE is the only compulsory subject that is locally determined and is largely controlled by religious interest groups even in nonreligious schools. Representatives of non-religious worldviews are often excluded or denied voting rights on RE committees.
In Wales, RE has been renamed 'religion, values and ethics' and must teach religious and non-religious worldviews equally.
NSS: RE "outdated and unpopular"
NSS chief executive Stephen Evans said: "The time has come to move away from religious education being a mandatory school subject under the influence of religious authorities.
"Schools have an important role to play developing young people's critical thinking and understanding of religious diversity. There are much better ways to achieve this than through the outdated and unpopular model of religious education."
"Existing curriculum requirements, especially citizenship education, should be enhanced to promote an understanding of society's diverse religious and non-religious landscape whilst at the same time preparing pupils to consider and understand their future rights and obligations as citizens."
Hat-tip: Clive Field, Counting Religion in Britain, October 2022.
Pupils at failing Catholic school 'do not learn about other faiths'
Posted: Wed, 13 Jul 2022 13:28
A state-funded Catholic school has been criticised by inspectors for failing to teach pupils about other religions.
According to an Ofsted report published this month, pupils at Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School in Wigan "do not learn about faiths or cultures other than their own".
They are therefore "not well prepared to live in a diverse society".
The school was rated 'inadequate' by Ofsted for this and other failings, including its "poor" curriculum and high numbers of "vulnerable" pupils who do not attend school regularly.
Our Lady Immaculate is a voluntary aided school, which means it can teach religious education (RE) from its own exclusive viewpoint.
Its RE curriculum is delivered through the 'Come and See' scheme of work based on Catholic theology.
NSS: Faith schools "ill-suited" to 21st century education
National Secular Society head of campaigns Megan Manson said: "It is not surprising that faith schools permitted to teach RE from their own exclusive viewpoint fail to prepare children for living in a diverse society.
"This case demonstrates the inherent conflict between ensuring all children are taught about different faiths and cultures, and faith schools' desires to inculcate children with their particular religion.
"This intractable issue shows how ill-suited faith schools are to the educational needs of children in the 21st century."
Failings at independent faith schools
Other Ofsted reports published this month revealed a number of independent faith schools have also failed to meet standards:
- Ofsted conducted an unannounced monitoring visit to the Institute of Islamic Education in Dewsbury prompted by complaints about sexual abuse, safety and quality of care. The inspection found leaders failed to properly address a "serious allegation" of peer-on-peer sexual abuse and an assault on a pupil by other children. Similar concerns were raised last year.
- Wiznitz Cheder School, a Jewish school in London, gives "too little time" to secular subjects. Despite developing a plan to teach about different religions and cultures and different types of families, it has not ensured that these plans are applied effectively in the classroom.
- Pupils at Talmud Torah Yetev Lev, another Jewish school in London, continue to have a "limited understanding" of other faiths and cultures despite repeated concerns raised. The school has also failed to meet safeguarding standards.
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