What is the Religious Education Council (REC)?
The REC is an umbrella organisation made up of member bodies which support its aims.  The REC does not have individual members; however anybody is welcome to subscribe to the REC e-newsletter free of charge.
Which bodies can become REC members? 

The REC’s membership criteria are as follows.  Member bodies should:
1.  Support the aims of the REC.  These are:

 •    to represent the collective interests of a wide variety of professional associations and religious and belief communities in deepening and strengthening provision for religious education in schools, colleges and universities;
•    to provide a religion and belief forum where national organisations with an interest in supporting and promoting religious education in schools and colleges can share matters of common concern;
•    to explore and clarify the scope of religious education in schools and its relationship to other areas of the curriculum;
•    to facilitate joint involvement in decision and policy making at national level and to provide a means of communication between member bodies, offering opportunities to share ideas and learn from each other.
•    to act as a voice for religious education in the media and in meetings with government bodies.
•    To undertake projects as appropriate in support of RE.

2.  Have a national remit.  A member body has to be active at a national (England/Wales/UK wide) level because the REC seeks to influence policy and secure provision in RE country-wide rather than purely locally or regionally.

3. Have a chief executive officer or equivalent which, in the case of organisations which don’t have a CEO, would be the Chair of the Governing Body.   

4. Have a governing body.  Member organisations need to be run in a way that demonstrates principles of accountability and transparency in their decision making processes.  This will mean they have a governing body or board of trustees or directors; the name is unimportant so long as the requirement for open governance is met.

5. Have a written constitution or equivalent.  This is a requirement for the same reason as (4), that of openness and adherence to clear standards of accountability. A copy should be included along with any application for membership.

6. Have a commitment to supporting and promoting RE in schools, colleges and universities.  The REC’s engagement with religious education is developed in the context of early years, primary, secondary, further and higher education and training.  

7. Subscribe to the principles for RE set out in the DCSF/QCDA National Framework for Religious Education) or the Welsh Assembly Government’s National Exemplar Framework for Religious Education and reflected in the REC's Practice Code for Teachers of RE, and sign a register to confirm that the organisation supports these principles.

8.  Be independent bodies.  REC member bodies are required to be independently constituted, that is, they need to be self-governing rather than departments or sections of a larger body which has control over their affairs.

9. Be approved by the REC’s Executive Board and Council general meeting.  The Board will recommend applications for membership to the Council if the criteria are met.

10. Pay an annual subscription. Currently this is £75.00 per year.

 Download the membership application form