Background to the new non-statutory national framework for religious education

In 2004 the New Labour think-tank, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), with the support of the British Humanist Association, held a seminar entitled What is RE for? It was hoped that the report of this meeting would be of value to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) in drawing up new non-statutory guidelines for Religious Education in schools. The IPPR report concluded that:

• RE should not focus narrowly on religions but should
  1. widen its scope to include non-religious belief systems including atheism, agnosticism and humanism
  2. encourage the study of free standing philosophical and ethical problems.
• The heading "Religious Education" should be dropped in favour of something like "Religious, philosophical and moral education" as it has been in Scotland.
• Religious education should learn from the Citizenship curriculum and develop a less content heavy approach that creates more room for skills led learning.
• RE should aim to instill norms of reflective thought and reasonable discussion – so complementing values and dispositions cultivated in citizenship curriculum.

Comments from the British Humanist Association can be read on their web site.

The non-statutory national framework for religious education was published later in 2004. While it does not recommend that the old title Religious Education be changed, it does state that areas of study should include "a secular world view, where appropriate" and "that there are opportunities for all pupils to study … secular philosophies such as humanism".