NSS RE Briefing Paper - September 2013

The National Secular Society advocates comprehensive reform of RE.

In the NSS Briefing Paper (September 2013) they suggest the new subject would be called 'Philosophy and Ethics':-

"We would like to see education about religion absorbed into a new National Curriculum subject for all pupils that covers a variety of religious, non-religious and secular philosophies and worldviews."

"We believe a new programme of study under the heading of philosophy and ethics, along with strengthened provision of citizenship education is the most appropriate and inclusive means of achieving this. The reformed subject would include objective education about religious belief, but not to the detriment of other important philosophical and ethical perspectives."

"A key aspect of citizenship education is to teach about “diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding”. We believe citizenship education is a far more useful vehicle for promoting community cohesion than religious education."

"presenting moral issues to young people in the context of ‘religious education’ inevitably leads to morality being perceived as uniquely associated with religion, which is deeply erroneous and leaves pupils with a skewed and very poor understanding of ethics and how normative discourse has developed and been framed throughout previous centuries."

"the study of religion for its impact on our Arts and History should be undertaken where and when relevant in subjects such as English literature, History, and the visual arts."

In a nutshell, I believe the NSS Briefing Paper argues for replacing Religious Education with a new nationally (not locally) determined National Curriculum 'Philosophy and Ethics' subject with extensions to Citizenship, English Literature, History and Art.

NSS Key recommendations include:-

- "In any publicly-funded school, including VA schools and academies with a religious designation, the law should be amended to: (a) require teaching about other major faiths and non-religious philosophies, and (b) outlaw confessional teaching of RE."

- "Accompanying guidance related to any subject covering religion and belief should make clear that schools must not offer opportunities to groups seeking to evangelise in schools. When external groups are invited to assist with educational provision, the parameters of what is acceptable should be made clear by the school in advance and agreed, a teacher should be present to ensure the parameters are not violated, and parents should be notified sufficiently far in advance of lessons where such groups are being invited to be able to withdraw their child."

Reference: Anon (2013) Religious Education Briefing Paper [Online], London, National Secular Society, Available at http://www.secularism.org.uk/uploads/religious-education-briefing-paper.pdf (Accessed 13th October 2013).