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REC Newsletter April 2010 Print E-mail

REC Newsletter April 2010

CELEBRATING REImage

The REC has initiated planning for a celebration of RE throughout England and Wales during the whole month of March 2011.  The aims of Celebrating RE include providing a showcase for enjoyable and relevant RE with pupils of all abilities and age groups and raising public awareness of RE's distinctive and positive contribution to society and social cohesion.  Further information will be available on the event website at www.celebratingre.org from late April.

NATIONAL FAMILY WEEK

National Family Week aims to highlight the important role families play in society and encourage healthy active lifestyles and quality family time. Now in its second year, National Family Week is the largest coalition on family issues and is backed by all major political parties and a huge range of national charities, community groups and sporting associations.  Over 5,000 events will take place during National Family Week 2010 (31st May - 6th June) plus record breaking excitement, giveaways, competitions and activity ideas to encourage families to spend quality time together.

For further information on the plans for The Week, theme day toolkits and promotional resources, visit the National Family Week website at www.nationalfamilyweek.co.uk and register for the Partner Zone.

RESILIENCE UPDATEImage

An important stage in the development of the project has been reached, as a pilot study is presently being carried out in a number of English schools in preparation for the roll out in September 2010. Evaluation of the pilot will help to identify strengths as well as areas which might need to be refined or improved. All information about REsilience can now be found on its website - www.RE-silience.org.uk  The website will include a regular newsletter which will replace the updates sent directly to the REC up to now.

 

HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDING COUNCIL UPDATE ON ISLAMIC STUDIES MARCH 2010

HEFCE has worked to develop a programme to support Islamic Studies as a designated strategically important subject since 2007. Details of the programme can be found at http://www.hefce.ac.uk/aboutus/sis/islamic/.

HEFCE also recently published a data report produced by the HE Academy showing the provision of teaching in Islamic Studies, in terms of numbers of modules available. It highlights the institutional and disciplinary diversity of Islamic Studies teaching. The report is available to download at http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/rdreports/2010/rd06_10/.

The Islamic Studies Network (www.heacademy.ac.uk/islamicstudies), funded by HEFCE, HEFCW and SFC, works across the Higher Education Academy's Subject Centres to bring together those working in Islamic Studies to enhance teaching and learning in higher education.  Please visit the HEA website or contact for more details:

RE AND ENVIRONMENT PROJECT (REEP)

This year's Easter greeting tells how flowers and gardens have traditionally formed part of the iconography and message of the Christian Easter story, using interpretations from both art and
photography. After such a hard winter, REEP hopes that its Easter garden will bring some brightness.
http://reep.org/resources/easter/2010/

ST GABRIELS' WEEKEND CONFERENCE FOR TEACHERS OF RE

The 10th St Gabriel's Teachers conference will be held at Wokefield Park conference centre, Reading on the weekend of 16th/17th October 2010. Hosting 200 primary and secondary Religious Education teachers from across the country, the conference theme is "RE for the Twenty Tens - a new curriculum context".  Maintaining the very best in professional development for teachers, the St Gabriel's conference will provide a valuable opportunity to RE teachers to learn more about the core subject of the curriculum - Religious Education.  Application forms for the conference are available from 15th March from www.culham.ac.uk/sg/weekend .

BLOXHAM PROJECT

The Bloxham Project is holding its conference this year at Trinity College, Oxford  from 12th-14th April and the theme is: 'Educating the Spirit: Christian Vision and Education'  .  Any last-minute enquiries should be sent by e-mail to the Bloxham Office at .

 

FBFE GUIDANCE ON SPIRITUAL, MORAL, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL EDUCATION

 

Guidance on Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Education ( smsc) for the FE sector was launched on 15 March at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North-East London.  Iain Wright MP, Minister for 14-19 Reform and Apprenticeships, DCSF, attended the launch and expressed the government's support for the guidance. The full guidance document will be available on the LSIS and fbfe websites ( iwww.fbfe.org.uk) at the end of March 2010

 

 

NEWS FROM HINDU COUNCIL UK  (work with inter faith & NHS)

Hindu Council UK continues to present a broad vision of religion at Inter faith gatherings. Last month it contributed at a session at the Steiner Centre in the Forest of Dean. The theme promoted was Comprehensive Pluralism.  This concept does not undermine any faith but has the capacity of refreshing the message of all faiths and is even open to the idea of spirituality invoked in a non-religious mode though other fields of human endeavour like arts and sciences. Hindu Council UK also conducted a training session on Indic religions for the NHS Care Trust executives at a temple in Cricklewood.

 

NEWS FROM HINDU ACADEMY (activities at schools and colleges)

The Hindu Academy continues to provide a Hindu input to students at schools both in the public and private sector.  Last month sessions were conducted at Chloe Shalom Jewish School in Shenley, St Christopher's School (founded on Theosophic ideals) in Aylesbury; Divine Saviour RC Primary School in Abbots Langley, Coverdale School in Shepherds Bush; Ravenor Primary School in Greenford; Forest School in Waltham Forest. Hindu Academy conducted sessions on Science and Religion for students at the London School of Economics, King's College & City University. In March the same theme was explored at Manchester University and at Altrincham Grammar School for Boys, Manchester.  Next month the same theme is being explored in an Assembly at Eton College

BAPTIST UNION

The Baptist Union recently ran the first of a series of training days around the country called Love Your Local School.  Designed to help every Baptist church engage with local schools to a lesser or greater degree, either ecumenically or in partnership with a Christian schools work agency, guidance is given so that the spiritual experience of the students is enhanced through by the opportunity to learn from the local Christian community.

 

INTER FAITH NETWORK FOR THE UK

Local Inter Faith Organisations and Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education: Working together for understanding and community cohesion  Report on a seminar held by the Inter Faith Network for the UK and the National Association of SACREs on 12 June 2009 at the Elmbank Centre, Coventry.  This report is downloadable from http://www.interfaith.org.uk

 

JAINPEDIA

The Institute of Jainology is launching its JAINpedia project in May with an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum. This will be accompanied by a website that has over 4,000 Jain manuscripts digitised and contextualised with new material.  JAINpedia will open to the public at the V&A Nehru Gallery of Indian Art and will run from 14th May 2010 till 31st December 2012.  There will also be a series of related activities which can be found on the web link below and clicking on to V&A activities 2010-11.  See www.jainology.org for details or contact

 

SUBJECT CENTRE FOR PHILOSOPHICAL AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES

 

The Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies is holding a two-day conference in the summer to explore issues around the policy and practice of teaching Theology and Religious Studies in higher education in a multi-faith and multi-cultural society. The conference will take place on 8-9th July in Leeds. We are keen for secondary level R.E. teachers to be represented at this event. More details, including the call for papers, are available here: http://www.prs.heacademy.ac.uk/view.html/prsevents/460

 

AULRE ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The Annual Conference of the Association of University Lecturers in Religion and Education (U.K.) will be held in Norwich from Thursday 1st July and Friday 2nd July 2010.  The topic will be
Religion, Education and Spiritual Development. The conference is open to non-AULRE members. For further details please see http://www.aulre.org.uk/

 

NEW RESOURCES FOR TEACHING ABOUT BUDDHISM

 

Clear Vision announces its newest materials for Buddhism at K3&4: Us and Them: Buddhism and community. A trial section can be viewed at  http://www.clear-vision.org/Schools/Teachers.aspx 

This new online interactive resource explores Buddhist teachings on community-building and the self and consists of 10 videos with notes, discussion topics and activities cover topics including identity and belonging; volunteering and charities; speech and communication; democracy; karma and the environment

 

 

INTER FAITH WEEK 2010

Inter Faith Week 2010 will take place in England and Wales from Saturday 21 November to Sunday 27 November.  See www.interfaithweek.org.uk.  Resources for schools can be downloaded from the site.

 

VALUES, BELIEFS AND FAITHS IN FURTHER EDUCATION.  PUTTING SMSC (spiritual, moral, social and cultural) DEVELOPMENT AT THE HEART OF COLLEGE LIFE

This conference will take place from 6 - 8 July, 2010 at York St John University.  It is for college chaplains, all staff with a brief for inclusion, citizenship, equalities & diversity, tutorial programmes, enrichment, Governors, members of faith communities interested in post-16 education and is organised by the Churches' National Adviser in FE, based at the Education Division, Church House (Church of England), London. It will cost £175, full board.  For booking matters contact ; for matters relating to the programme contact .

 

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for England and Wales
March
Christian: Ash Wednesday
March 09, 2011

Zoroastrian: Farvardigun
March 10, 2011

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March 17, 2011

Japanese: Shunbun No Hi
March 18, 2011


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