Call for RE to reflect ‘real religious landscape’

Religious education needs a new statutory framework to include different religious traditions and non-belief, according to a report.

The study, by the Religious Literacy Programme in the Faiths and Civil Society Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London, concludes that RE in the UK is outdated and calls for its content to reflect the “real religious landscape” with the inclusion of a broad range of religious beliefs and non-religion.

The authors, Adam Dinham, professor of faith and public policy, and Martha Shaw, a researcher at the Faiths and Civil Society Unit, recommend a national panel made up of professional bodies, local education authorities, schools and experts, to develop a new statutory framework for the subject which would be applicable to all schools and would balance a national approach with local needs.

The report, titled “RE for REal”, also claims the subject has low status and needs a new name.

Suggestions include Religious Awareness, Religious Literacy, and Beliefs, Ethics and Values Education.

Interviews with Year 10 (14- to 15-year-old) students in England revealed a unanimous feeling that RE – particularly the study of belief diversity – was increasingly important.

Teenagers emphasised a desire to learn about real “lived” religion and religion in society, especially in the context of controversies such as extremism.

To compile the report, researchers visited 19 schools in the UK between September 2014 and May of this year, asking 190 students, 97 teachers, parents and employers their thoughts on learning about religion and belief.