The announcement by Michael Gove, Minister of State for Education, that an English Baccalaureate would be brought in as a means of recording pupil success at GCSE, has caused considerable comment and controversy.  The choice of subjects to be included is already having an impact on secondary school provision and staffing, not least on RE.  There appears to be some misunderstanding about the way that RE is timetabled at KS4 and especially the difference between the core statutory provision for all which is usually accredited by the short course GCSE and the optional full course examination which allows the subject to be studied in depth. 

Any teacher looking at this is encouraged to complete the survey being run by the National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE) which aims to measure the immediate impact of the announcement.  To access the survey click on the link http://bit.ly/hH7pmS 

The controversy has increased by the retrospective application of the English Baccalaureate to the 2010 school results. The list of subjects in the EBac for 2011 is still to be finally decided. What follows is a compilation of links to some of the articles, letters and reports which have appeared since December 2010.

BBC Daily Politics Show 30 March 2011
MG Harris on how to improve the English Baccalaureate
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12909866

Letter from Lancashire Youth SACRE to Michael Gove 25 March 2011

The Independent 17 February 2011
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/schools/andy-burnham-comprehensive-schools-are-part-of-labours-dna-2217087.html

BBC News 7 February 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-12380937

The Guardian 7 February 2011
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/feb/07/gcse-arts-cut-english-baccalaureate

Times Educational Supplement 28 Jan 2011
http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6068590

Church of England Newspaper 27 Jan 2011
http://www.religiousintelligence.org/churchnewspaper/news/gove%E2%80%99s-commitment-to-religious-education-welcomed/

Press TV 23 January 2011
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/161549.html

The Observer 23 January 2011
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jan/23/education-religion-baccalaureate-schools?INTCMP=SRCH

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/23/religion-education-school-examinations?INTCMP=SRCH

Article in Church Times, 21 Jan 2011
http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=106920

Article on BBC website, 20 Jan 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12227491

Article in Daily Telegraph, 8 Jan 2011
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8246139/GCSE-league-tables-thousands-of-pupils-failing-in-key-subjects.html

Articles, press releases and correspondence, National Association of Teachers of RE website, Dec 2010 - Jan 2011
www.natre.org.uk/news.php

Letter in Independent on Sunday, 4 January 2011 (scroll down to 'RE must return to curriculum')
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/letters/letters-incinerators-2175127.html

DfE response to a number of enquiries on the English Baccalaureate and RE, January 2011

Article in Church Times, 31 December 2010
http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=106014

Letter on Independent Catholic News website, 20 December 2010 
http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=17350

Article from Times Educational Supplement, 17 December 2010
http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6066170

Article in Independent Catholic News website, 15 December 2010
http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=17322

Article from The Independent newspaper, 14 December 2010
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/anger-as-science-excluded-from-new-diploma-2160008.html