The Accord Coalition has today joined the Religious Education Council (REC) of England and Wales. The REC was established in 1973 to represent the collective interests of a wide variety of professional associations and religion and belief groups in deepening and strengthening provision for Religious Education (RE). It provides a multi-faith forum where national organisations with an interest in supporting and promoting RE in schools and colleges can share matters of common concern.
The standing of RE in the curriculum has been undermined in recent years. In June 2010 OFSTED published its report Transforming religious education, which found that there was “very significant variability in the quantity and quality of support for RE provided to schools by local authorities”, that the standards of RE provision in secondary schools had fallen since 2007 and recommended that the Department for Education should review the current local arrangements for RE in England.
Meanwhile, analysis in 2011 by the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education also found that almost a quarter of Academies and community schools did not even provide RE for their fourteen to sixteen year old pupils, even though they are legally required to do so. Furthermore, Academy schools and most non-Academy faith schools are free to determine what they teach in RE, meaning they can provide RE that is instructional, or that do not teach about the broad range of beliefs in society, including non-religious ones. The number of Academy schools is currently being massively expanded.
Chair of the Accord Coalition, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, said ‘Accord is delighted to have been accepted as a member of the REC. The REC wants schools to teach RE that is broad and balanced, and Accord hopes that through becoming an active member it can further strengthen the voice of those who want to maintain an inclusive approach to the subject, as well as make sure that RE is not overlooked by schools or government in this period of change.’
