Religious diversity at GCSE welcomed

GOVERNMENT PLANS to ensure that GCSE religious studies pupils focus on at least two religions rather than just one are likely to be welcomed by the Church, writes Joanna Moorhead.

The changes are being set out by the Department for Education in an attempt to tackle cultural isolationism and extremism in the wake of the Trojan Horse affair in Birmingham. Under current guidelines, faith schools can choose to teach only their own religion and ignore others.

But according to Marie Southall of the Catholic Education Service, the bishops already stress the significance of making sure pupils study other faiths as well as their own.