Religious Education is outdated, unpopular and opens the door to proselytising.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 But we don't think our schools need a dedicated subject to do this – especially a subject as out-of-date and as irrelevant as Religious Education (RE).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
Pupils should have the same entitlement to religion and belief education - NSS tells RE Commission
Posted: Mon, 13 Feb 2017 16:08
Every pupil should have the same basic entitlement to non-partisan education about religion and belief, the National Secular Society has said in a submission to the Commission on Religious Education.
The Society said that significant reform of RE was needed to make sure learning about religion and belief covered a "broad spectrum of human ideas and thought", including religious and non-religious worldviews.
The Commission, established by the RE Council of England and Wales, is reviewing the "the legal, education, and policy frameworks for religious education" with the "ultimate aim … to improve the quality and rigour of religious education and its capacity to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain."
In its response, the NSS criticised existing arrangements which means local faith groups determine the content of RE, calling this approach "arbitrary and unfair".
The NSS submission said the content of any subject covering religion and belief should be determined by the same process as other subjects, reasoning that there was "no educational or social rationale" for the subject to uniquely 'reflect local circumstances'.
The NSS also criticised the special arrangements for faith schools' which allows them to teach the subject form their own perspective, saying this undermined the academic integrity of the subject. "All pupils, regardless of the school they attend, should have the same entitlement to learn about religion, beliefs and philosophy in an impartial way", said the submission, which also called for all schools, including faith schools to "have their religious education teaching inspected by Ofsted, and not by inspectors appointed by their governing bodies in consultation with 'religious authorities', as is current the case."
Parents are currently able to withdraw their child from religious education, a right the National Secular Society supports while the subject is taught unevenly across the country, with locally-agreed syllabuses and in an often confessional manner.
But, if the subject is "suitably reformed" to become a "truly impartial, objective and balanced academic subject, then the parental right of withdrawal could be reviewed," the NSS submission said.
The submission called for these points to be emphasised in teacher training, so that no teacher "should leave training thinking it is ever appropriate for them to teach or promote their own religious beliefs to children."
RE is often taught by non-specialists and given a low priority, creating "an ideal environment for evangelical groups to exploit", the NSS warned.
Stephen Evans, campaigns director of the National Secular Society said, "This area of learning should no longer be unduly influenced by religious groups and vested interests, as has traditionally been the case"
"Britain today has incredible religious diversity but is also less religious than it has ever been. Our education system should reflect that, so pupils leave school equipped to understand religious and non-religious points of view. But that can only happen when RE stops being used by some as an opportunity to evangelise. A proselytising approach to religious education robs children of the impartial, balanced curriculum they deserve."
Government challenged over treatment of non-religious views in RE lessons
Posted: Thu, 30 Jun 2016 16:19
The Government has been challenged in the House of Lords over its approach to the inclusion of non-religious worldviews in religious education.
Lord Taverne, the Liberal Democrat peer and an honorary associate of the National Secular Society, asked the Government to explain why it had "condemned" guidance on the teaching of non-religious worldviews in religious studies.
The guidance, written by Dr Satvinder Juss – a Professor of Law at King's College London, was issued following the High Court's ruling that the Secretary of State for Education Nicky Morgan had made an "error of law", which could lead to the neglect of non-religious worldviews in secondary schools.
The guidance contradicts the Department for Education's own guidance which states that the ruling "does not affect how schools are teaching religious education".
The Government has argued that the case was won "on a very narrow, technical point" and said that it does not "accept the wider interpretation" offered in the Dr Juss' guidance.
Lord Nash, the schools minister, said that it was "inaccurate" to say that there was a need to balance the teaching of religions "by compulsory and systematic teaching of a non-religious world view to the same extent."
Lord Taverne asked "is it really the Government's view that children should not be encouraged to think critically and make up their own mind and should not be made aware of the views of a very large and growing number of people in this country who do not subscribe to any religion?"
In response the schools minister said that "all six GCSE-awarding bodies' GCSE content includes development of students' understanding of wider beliefs, including a non-religious world view."
He added that "All children should be made aware of the basics of all religions as part of a broad and balanced education. It helps you to respect someone if you understand more about them."
Lib Dem peer Lord Storey asked the minister to reflect on "why, if the Government believe that non-religious beliefs have a full and important place in religious studies, they have moved to encourage schools and those who set syllabuses to ignore a legal judgment that sets out exactly that position?"
Lord Harrison added: "Do the Government not recognise that their advice to schools may in itself contradict the law"
Lord Nash responded that "a much wider interpretation is being made of this narrow judgment than should be".
The schools minister also said that the Government was "looking at what more can be done to strengthen the curriculum to further prepare pupils for life in modern Britain through citizenship, PSHE [and] character education".
The Bishop of Chelmsford, describing himself as a "lapsed atheist", said that he welcomed the study of non-religious worldviews in education. He told the House: "I welcome the place of non-religious world views in religious education; they are very important.
