Ministers have ordered a review of religious education following warnings it is “generally of poor quality” in the nation’s schools.
New lesson plans are being created for teachers to use, with the first due to be published in the autumn and the work due to be completed next year.
The Department for Education is also offering a ￡10,000 bursary for trainee RE teachers who begin courses this year.
Religious Education is a compulsory subject in all state-funded schools in England up to the age of 18 but school inspection service Ofsted warned schools "often consider RE as an afterthought".
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Ministers say children need to learn about religious beliefs in order to understand the society they live in.
Pupils need to learn about Christianity and other religions (Image: Getty)
The Department for Education has commissioned Oak National Academy, a body originally set up to create online lessons during the Covid pandemic, to develop new RE classroom resources.
The aim is to ensure “high-quality lessons are available nationwide, benefitting both teachers and pupils,” according to the Department for Education, although use of the new plans will be optional.
Schools Standards Minister Damian Hinds said: “Religious Education is an important part of a school’s curriculum and can contribute to a young person’s personal, social and academic development.
“When taught well, the subject develops children’s knowledge of British values and traditions, helps them to better understand those of other countries, and refines pupils’ ability to construct well-informed, balanced and structured arguments.”
Ministers have confirmed RE will remain a compulsory subject up to 18 at least until the general election, although Ofsted has warned that “many schools” do not meet the statutory requirement to teach it at all stages.
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An inquiry last year by Colin Bloom, the Government’s Independent Faith Engagement Advisor, said some schools had abandoned dedicated RE lessons entirely while in others the subject was taught by unqualified teachers.
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It found 28 per cent of state secondary schools had no dedicated religious education lessons at all, warning this “deprives students of vital knowledge which enables them to understand the different religions, faiths and beliefs that shape the contemporary world they live in.”
And Ofsted said in its annual report: "Pupils are rarely taught enough substance to prepare them to engage in a complex, multi-religious and multi-secular society (where religion and non-religion play different parts in different people’s lives).”
A consultation is currently underway about Rishi Sunak’s plan to replace A-levels with a new Advanced British Standard, which is looking at the subjects that should be included.
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