Religious freedom resources for schools launched at House of Lords

New religious education resources to help secondary school pupils learn about freedom of religion and belief in the UK will be launched at the House of Lords on 18 November at a gathering hosted by Baroness Elizabeth Berridge, a trustee of the Freedom Declared Foundation.

Teachers, policymakers, parliamentarians, academics and leaders of religious and belief organisations will participate in the launch. The RE resources were developed by teachers working with Professor James Holt of the University of Chester, based on the research project Lived Experiences of Religious Freedom: Organisational Challenges in the UK, designed and led by Dr Mátyás Bódi of Regents Park College, University of Oxford.

This research collected empirical evidence of lived experience of freedom of religion and belief in the UK and identified challenges faced by religious and non-religious belief organisations in relation to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The lesson plans use case studies drawn from the research to prompt discussion and learning about religious freedom legislation, dialogue and listening, religion in the local area, and practice, worship, and expression. This includes encouraging students to read extracts of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and reflect on how far it reflects their experience of freedom of belief in modern Britain.

Professor Holt said, “In the UK, we often think of freedom of religion and belief as a foreign policy issue, but Dr Bodi’s research shows that there are real-life examples of persecution and harassment here too. We must help children and young people to be aware of this and to develop the skills to understand the rights and freedoms which our legal frameworks uphold, although our social norms and behaviours do not always follow suit.”

Teachers from several secondary schools helped to develop and trial the resources, which will be available online. The Lived Experiences of Religious Freedom research has also resulted in other resources in addition to the teaching resources, including a Freedom of Religion and Belief (FORB) online monitoring tool, which will be demonstrated at the launch event.

Dr Mátyás Bódi said, “In my research, representatives of religious and non-religious belief organisations often described a disparity between current legal and social conditions and the circumstances they would regard as ideal. Understandings of what an ‘ideal’ situation entails vary, and so organisations respond differently with some seeking to change particular aspects of the status quo, others aiming to preserve elements of the existing framework they consider essential, and some prioritising that current legal protections are properly implemented in practice.”

Baroness Berridge said, “We partnered with Regents Park College to deliver this research because of their strong heritage and current work in upholding religious freedom. We are delighted that 30 organisations participated in the research, which brings richness of experience and insight from a range of perspectives and traditions.”

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