New criteria proposals have been launched for GCSE and A Level courses in R.E. as part of a public consultation.
The Catholic Education Service (CES) says the plans will ensure a more ‘academically rigorous’ religious education for pupils.
The organisation, along with The Church of England’s Education Division, worked alongside the Department for Education to draft the proposals, which are now subject to a public consultation.
CES says the reforms will include the teachings of two religions at GCSE and a breadth and depth of study at A-Level to support students progressing to higher education.
The Church of England’s Chief Education Officer, Revd. Nigel Genders, said: “Looking at the world today, it is hard to overstate the importance of equipping the young people of this country with a challenging and rigorous education which includes religious literacy.
“This new set of criteria will provide qualifications which do exactly that, and I hope the government will act to launch them publically as soon as possible.”
Chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference Department of Education and Formation, Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, added: “We are excited about the opportunities that these will give our schools in delivering an academic study of religious education which conforms with the Bishops’ requirements, and look forward to the imminent launch of the consultation.”
However, the plans have been criticised by some for not giving non-religious views the same weight as religious viewpoints.
The British Humanist Association (BHA) and the Religious Education Council of England and Wales (REC) want the Government to reconsider the proposals.
They want the subject to include an optional annex on humanism, alongside those on the six major world religions…Read More
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