Millions of young people receive no — or low-quality — religious education that does not prepare them for further education, work and life in the UK and the wider world. High quality RE, taught through the Religion and Worldviews approach, changes that.
The Religion and Worldviews approach gives young people the academic tools to make sense of the different religious and non-religious responses to life’s big questions — why are we here, how should we live, what is right and wrong?
In a world where these questions are encountered daily through the news, social media and in different communities, young people deserve a place in schools, led by a well-qualified specialist, where they can understand the different responses to these fundamental questions that underpin the human experience.
Find out why the public think an education in religion and worldviews is important.
Academic Rigour
Academic religious education is a vital part of every young person’s education. The Religion and Worldviews approach supports schools to improve their teaching by better aligning it with how the subject is studied at university, drawing on theology, philosophy, history, sociology and literature.
This intellectually challenging, interdisciplinary approach develops young people as skilled interpreters of the different religious and non-religious worldviews found in modern Britain and around the world.
Authentic Understanding
The Religion and Worldviews approach enables teachers to select content that is both academically rigorous and personally inspiring for the young people in their classroom. By grounding study in the lived experiences of real people and communities, it ensures that different religions and worldviews — as they are actually held and practised — are understood in all their richness and complexity.
Preparation for Life and Work
We live in an increasingly globalised, interconnected world. Giving young people the scholarly tools to explore difference thoughtfully and respectfully has never been more important. Employers value confident, articulate communicators who can work effectively with people from all walks of life — and this is precisely what a high-quality education in Religion and Worldviews develops.
A high-quality education in Religion and Worldviews prepares young people to:
- Engage thoughtfully with difference , drawing on a range of scholarly disciplines to interpret religious and non-religious worldviews with curiosity and respect.
- Develop essential life skills, including the ability to encounter different ideas and engage in respectful discussion on the complex moral and philosophical issues they encounter in the news and on social media.
- Thrive in the workplace, with the interpersonal understanding and communication skills that employers value in an increasingly diverse, globalised economy.
- Contribute to community cohesion, by fostering mutual respect and reducing misunderstanding about the different faiths and beliefs found in modern Britain and around the world.
- Understand themselves more deeply, by exploring the fundamental questions of meaning, identity, purpose and how to live well.
- Participate meaningfully in modern society, as thoughtful, intellectually curious citizens ready for adult life.
“RE is fundamental to life. It’s all about people and people will never be out of date. RE is the one time in school where you can talk, listen and try to make sense of people, events and beliefs in the world.”
Shreya, Year Ten student speaking at a Parliamentary Roundtable on the subject.