Lack of good religious education ‘leaves pupils at risk’
, BBC:
Do different religions have separate heavens? Where do morals come from? What is the difference between Jesus in the Bible and in other scriptures?
These are just some of the questions the Religious Education Council of England and Wales (REC) says that secondary school pupils grapple with on a regular basis.
But the REC is warning that a shortage of religious education teachers could contribute to religious stereotyping and discrimination, leaving pupils at risk of becoming ignorant, or bigoted.
It says high quality specialist teaching about all faiths, beliefs and world views is essential in a diverse society and is launching a campaign to try to attract more teachers into the profession.
Government data shows that in 2017-18, only 405 of initial teacher training places in England for RE were filled – well below the target of 643; figures for Wales have not yet been published.
The figures come against a backdrop of schools struggling to retain existing teachers – last month a report found the number of qualified teachers leaving the profession (for reasons other than retirement) had increased from 6% (25,260) of the qualified workforce in 2011 to 8% (34,910) in 2016.
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