Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that religious education in schools in England includes teaching about non-religious worldviews, including humanism.

The department recognises that non-religious worldviews, including humanism, can play an important role in supporting pupils’ understanding of beliefs and values. Religious education (RE) is not part of the national curriculum but is a mandatory subject for all pupils aged 5 to 18 in state-funded schools in England. Schools should deliver RE in an objective, critical and pluralistic way and already have the flexibility through their locally agreed syllabuses to include the study of non-religious world views such as humanism.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review recommended that government should explore including RE in the national curriculum, contingent on sector consensus. The sector group has reached a consensus and the department will consult on a draft RE curriculum in line with the national curriculum consultation.