Faith Communities and RE in Schools

Many faith community members have concerns about how their faith is portrayed and treated in community schools. This undoubtedly leads to greater pressure for having their own schools, either inside or if necessary outside of the state maintained system. In either case, there is a significant risk that the RE becomes narrow and sectarian with all the associated risks. There are three ways forwards here:

Improve the quality of the RE taught in community schools so that faith communities can feel confident that their faith is being accurately and sympathetically portrayed.

Encourage those responsible for RE in faith-based aided schools, academies and independent schools to consult and use as appropriate the non-statutory National Framework for Religious Education (NFRE) in planning their RE syllabuses. Where these are rooted more specifically in one particular faith, they have the opportunity – or, as many would say the obligation - to  accompany this with deliberate attention to the faiths of others.
[The Church of England is recommending that its aided schools follow the locally Agreed Syllabus, supplemented by additional material more directly addressing the Christian faith.]

Encourage schools generally to strengthen this inclusive approach to RE, by developing links with faith communities in their local areas.

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