Decline in religious studies teaching

Schools may be failing in their obligations to teach religious studies after the numbers taking exams in the subject at GCSE level dramatically declined, writes  Joanna Moorhead.

New figures show 53 per cent fewer candidates were entered for the GCSE short course in England in religious studies (RS) for 2014 than in 2012 – a decline in the subject that was only partially mitigated by a 19 per cent increase in the number taking the full GCSE subject this year compared with last.

For England and Wales combined, the number of short-course entries fell by 30 per cent in 2014 compared with 2013, while full-course entries increased by 7 per cent.

The explanation behind the drop, according to Ed Pawson, chairman of the National Association of Teachers of RE, is that the RS short course no longer qualifies for points in the schools league tables – so, in effect, the course goes below the radar.

“We live in a world where results matter and where the recording of results matters – so if the RS short course results don’t count, schools aren’t going to enter pupils for it any more,” he said.

“The Government has continually hidden behind the statutory nature of RS, claiming that it provides sufficient protection for the subject, but it’s clearly not working.” 

The time had come to reinstate proper checks, he said, to ensure that schools were meeting their statutory obligations to teach RS.  “Religion, philosophy, values and ethics matter, and I think young people are entitled to continue lessons in them through to the age of 16.”