Religion: Education

(asked on 13th July 2016) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that non-religious worldviews form part of the religious education curriculum.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 18th July 2016

The Government believes in the importance of religious education (RE) to develop children’s knowledge of the values and traditions of Britain and other countries, and to foster understanding among different faiths and beliefs, including non-religious beliefs.

We have issued guidance for schools, local authorities and agreed syllabus conferences about the religious studies GCSE and the RE curriculum. The guidance states that there is no obligation for any school to give equal air time to the teaching of religious and non-religious views. It is for schools to determine which religious and non-religious views to cover in their RE curriculum in line with statutory requirements. The guidance recommends that schools teach a wide ranging study of religious and non-religious beliefs across the key stages. The guidance is available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/gcse-religious-studies

All schools are required to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs.

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