Religious Education is outdated, unpopular and opens the door to proselytising.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 But we don't think our schools need a dedicated subject to do this – especially a subject as out-of-date and as irrelevant as Religious Education (RE).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 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
Give every child a pluralistic education, NSS tells Welsh government
Posted: Tue, 28 Jul 2020 13:58
The National Secular Society has urged the Welsh government to extend planned reforms of religious education so every child is given a pluralistic and balanced syllabus.
The Welsh government plans to replace RE with a new subject, religion, values and ethics (RVE), which will emphasise the diversity of both religious and non-religious worldviews.
Faith schools will be required to offer pluralistic RVE as an option where parents request it, but will otherwise be allowed to continue to teach the subject from a religious perspective.
NSS consultation response
In response to a consultation on the plans, which closes today, the NSS welcomed the government's efforts to make the subject more pluralistic.
But it urged ministers to ensure all children would receive a critically-informed RVE syllabus.
"We deeply regret that by permitting faith schools to continue to use the subject to promote their particular religious outlook through the denominational syllabus, many pupils in Wales will continue to be denied access to genuinely non-partisan and balanced education about the full range of religious and non-religious worldviews.
"This should be the right of every child, irrespective of the type of school they attend."
The NSS's response also said:
- Making pluralistic RVE an option rather than the standard in faith schools would "introduce additional burdens" and "create confusion" while disregarding pupils' independent rights.
- The government should pause plans to remove the parental right to withdraw children from RVE until the new curriculum could be assessed, particularly given concerns around the teaching of RVE in faith schools.
- The delivery of RVE could be subject to a legal challenge where it was not "objective, critical, and pluralistic" if the right to withdraw was removed.
- Schools should not be treated as "homogenous faith communities", particularly given evidence that families largely do not choose faith schools based on their religious character.
NSS comment
NSS head of education Alastair Lichten said the Welsh government's approach was "broadly welcome" but warned that ministers risked "missing a significant opportunity".
"The government's recognition of the need for change is welcome. But its plans still give too much ground to religious interests. This means state-funded schools will continue to be used to push particular religious worldviews on children, at the expense of their right to a broad and balanced education.
"Wales has the chance to lead the way on the teaching of religion and belief across the UK by ensuring every child is taught in a genuinely pluralistic, balanced and critically-informed way. Ministers should take it."
The Welsh government published a bill outlining its plans earlier this month. The NSS has lobbied ministers throughout the process of drafting the legislation.
Catholic leaders' opposition to reform
Last month Catholic school leaders wrote to Wales's first minister to oppose the planned reforms, in a move backed by the Catholic Education Service (CES). The NSS has since urged the minister to reject their "special pleading".
In its consultation response the NSS also noted that the CES's own data had found that just 54% of pupils in maintained Catholic schools and colleges in Wales were Catholic.
You can read more about the NSS's position on the proposals and how you can help us make our case on our dedicated campaign page.
Image: © Lucélia Ribeiro, via Flickr [CC BY-SA 2.0]
