Religious Education is outdated, unpopular and opens the door to proselytising.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 But we don't think our schools need a dedicated subject to do this – especially a subject as out-of-date and as irrelevant as Religious Education (RE).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
Overhaul of RE in Wales begins with new bill
Posted: Thu, 9 Jul 2020 09:02
The Welsh Government has published legislation to replace religious education (RE) with a more pluralistic 'religion, values and ethics' (RVE) subject.
The Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Bill was introduced to the Senedd by education minister Kirsty Williams on Tuesday, as part of wider education reforms. Under the proposals, all schools in Wales will be required to provide RVE based on locally agreed syllabi, which will themselves be based on a new national curriculum – with an emphasis on the diversity of religious and nonreligious worldviews.
An explanatory note published along with the draft bill reiterates the explicit intention of RVE to ensure learners "explore worldviews that include religions and other beliefs, and the impact these have on them and others in societies" – with "secularism" listed among the core concepts to be covered.
However, many faith schools will only be required to offer pluralistic RVE as an option where requested by parents – and will still be permitted continue to teach the subject from a faith perspective "in accordance with tenets of its religion or denomination."
The Catholic Education Service is lobbying against the requirement for faith schools to offer a pluralistic model of RVE.
The draft bill also removes the longstanding parental right of withdrawal.
The National Secular Society's Head of education, Alastair Lichten, welcomed the publication of the bill:
"This historic legislation could make Wales the UK's leading nation when it comes to inclusive and critical education about worldviews and their impact on society. Regrettably, the government's own ambitions will be undermined by the special exemptions for faith schools, which will mean many pupils will not have full access to pluralistic RVE.
"We will continue to work with ministers and Senedd members to improve the legislation and ensure that this once in a generation opportunity for reform is not undermined by the privileging of religion."
Although supportive of the intentions of the bill, the NSS has been critical of plans to retain the role of SACREs (standing advisory councils on religious education) and ASCs (agreed syllabus conferences) in producing the agreed syllabus for their area. Existing legislation will be amended to permit the appointment of representatives of nonreligious beliefs, but NSS has argued for a nationally agreed syllabus determined by educational experts, rather than special-interest groups.
The NSS has created a dedicated campaign page with a full briefing on the proposals and links for supporters to write to their Senedd members or respond to the consultation directly.
The page also includes a link to a survey of supporters' views on the future of RE reform and on the right to withdraw.
Image by Lesbardd - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia.
NSS urges ministers to reject Catholic leaders’ pleading over RE
Posted: Fri, 3 Jul 2020 12:18
Catholic education leaders who object to plans to reform religious education are engaging in "special pleading" which should be rejected, the National Secular Society has told the Welsh government.
The NSS has written to the first minister Mark Drakeford in response to a recent letter from Catholic school leaders across Wales.
The Catholic leaders' letter, which had the support of the Catholic Education Service (CES), claimed Welsh government plans to reform religious education "strike at the very identity of Catholic schools".
Planned changes
The Welsh government plans to replace religious education with religion, values and ethics (RVE) as it introduces a new curriculum.
The proposals will see two syllabus options coexisting. Faith schools will still be allowed to teach RVE from a faith-based perspective, although they will be required to offer a non-denominational alternative where parents request it.
Ministers considered requiring all schools to teach the non-denominational syllabus, but decided not to do so because of the "implications for schools of religious character".
The NSS has welcomed ministers' commitment to ensuring RVE is more pluralistic, but also said the current plans fall short of ensuring every pupil gets genuinely balanced and critically-informed RVE.
Contents of NSS letter
The NSS's letter said the Catholic leaders had significantly overreacted to the plans, adding that it was "disingenuous at best" to present the reforms as "an 'attack' on faith schools".
It said the Catholic leaders' letter was "at odds with mainstream opinion" and said there was "widespread consensus on the need to reform".
And it said the "simple solution" to any additional complexities for faith schools would be "to bring in RVE in line with the proposed pluralistic option in all schools in Wales".
"This is little more than special pleading and an attempt to preserve an outdated approach which focuses on religious inculcation over a modern, broad and balanced education.
"Any further concessions to faith schools will fundamentally undermine the worthwhile ambition to introduce a genuinely pluralistic and balanced approach to the teaching of Religion, Values & Ethics in Wales."
NSS comment
NSS chief executive Stephen Evans said: "We urge ministers to stand up to this attempt to protect the special treatment currently given to religion in Wales's schools. Religious interests shouldn't be allowed to dictate the terms on which religion is taught.
"The Welsh government should resist any temptation to make further concessions to faith schools in light of this letter. Instead it should revisit the concessions it's already made, to ensure all children have access to an impartial, critically-informed education about religion and belief."
