RE can play key role in combatting extremism
-03/10/05
A new report has suggested that Religious Education can play a key role in combating extremism and promoting respect for others.
The report from the RE Council for England and Wales says a bold new strategy for religious education in schools is needed after the July London attacks.
The number of students who took GCSE religious studies went up this year to 147,516, an increase of 4.6% on last year.
The Council report suggests that young people are continuing to explore the role of faith, and that there is a need to counter the “liberal and secularist assumptions that its subject matter is withering”.
But it also says that faith communities need to feel confident that their faith is being accurately and sympathetically portrayed, and there is a need to avoid “narrow and sectarian” teaching.
Chairman of the RE Council, Professor Brian Gates, said the proposals had the backing of all the council’s professional associations, and all other faith communities and churches.
But despite the increasing popularity of the subject the reports suggests that teaching standards lag behind other subjects.
The council’s strategy document says the quality of education and training for teachers needed to be improved to stop RE being a “Cinderella subject”.
In his last annual report, published in February, Chief Inspector of Schools David Bell said religious education provision still compared unfavourably with other subjects despite some improvements in teaching.
He said the shortage of specialist teachers was more acute in RE than in any other subject.
RE can play key role in combatting extremism
-03/10/05
A new report has suggested that Religious Education can play a key role in combating extremism and promoting respect for others.
The report from the RE Council for England and Wales says a bold new strategy for religious education in schools is needed after the July London attacks.
The number of students who took GCSE religious studies went up this year to 147,516, an increase of 4.6% on last year.
The Council report suggests that young people are continuing to explore the role of faith, and that there is a need to counter the “liberal and secularist assumptions that its subject matter is withering”.
But it also says that faith communities need to feel confident that their faith is being accurately and sympathetically portrayed, and there is a need to avoid “narrow and sectarian” teaching.
Chairman of the RE Council, Professor Brian Gates, said the proposals had the backing of all the council’s professional associations, and all other faith communities and churches.
But despite the increasing popularity of the subject the reports suggests that teaching standards lag behind other subjects.
The council’s strategy document says the quality of education and training for teachers needed to be improved to stop RE being a “Cinderella subject”.
In his last annual report, published in February, Chief Inspector of Schools David Bell said religious education provision still compared unfavourably with other subjects despite some improvements in teaching.
He said the shortage of specialist teachers was more acute in RE than in any other subject.