Transcript Slide 1

WHAT DO PEOPLE
SAY ABOUT RE?
ABBHIRAMI
BALASUBRAMANIAM
Trainee Chartered Accountant
Religious education is vital in providing young people
today with an insight of other people's way of life. It
broadens our understanding of the many cultures
that we are are surrounded by and helps us to build
great relationships between them. We are much
more tolerant, open minded and considerate
individuals through our religious education.
SAMUEL BARNETT
Actor
Religious education is perhaps a misunderstood
subject. It is not just about religion and who believes
in what God or the different religious practices that
exist today and throughout history. True, it gives us a
context through which to view the history of the
world and to see how it has shaped our lives and
cultures today. But it is also an invaluable tool to aid
in the teaching to our children of a profound lesson
that we continue to learn for the rest of our lives:
what it is to be human.
Intolerance continues to be one of the greatest
dangers we face today. Without an understanding
and acceptance of one another's journey through life,
there can be no progress. No matter what we believe
in or subscribe to, we each of us have a right to be
understood and accepted for who we are. Religious
education broadens our awareness of one another
and encourages tolerance, understanding,
inquisitiveness and consciousness.
We are all spiritual beings on a human journey, and
religious education can be the catalyst for our
understanding and acceptance of how each of us
chooses to manifest and express this journey in our
lives.
If we can teach children from an early age tolerance
of one another's differences, from specific personal
differences to religious and cultural differences on a
global scale, there is great hope for a world with less
conflict and pain and instead a world of openmindedness, awareness and love; a world in which
we can all be who we are without fear; a world in
which "different" is celebrated.
GAIL BENMERIEM
Muslim mum and Teaching Assistant
I think that RE is an essential part of a child's full and
complete education. A child is able to learn about
their own religion in a more in depth way to what
they already know. With lots of different religions
covered, it gives children an insight into other faiths
and helps them to understand more. This, in turn,
leads to a more tolerant society where children and
adults from a multitude of religions can live and work
together in harmony.
ALAN BRINE
HMI, National Adviser for RE
Why celebrate RE ……
…. because of what it means to so many children and
young people.
One of the privileges of being Ofsted’s national
adviser for RE is the chance it gives to talk to pupils
about their experience of the subject.
When RE is taught well pupils speak warmly of the
opportunities it provides to understand the diversity
of ideas abroad in the world; to make sense of issues
they face personally and those that affect the society
around them; and, to reflect at a serious level on their
own beliefs and values.
JANE CHIPPERTON
Chair, Association of Religious Education
Inspectors, Advisers and Consultants
(AREIAC)
In a world in which diversity is increasingly obvious,
with the possibilities of both unity and
fragmentation, the significance of good religious
education should not be underestimated. It offers
children and young people vital and challenging
opportunities not only to clarify their own beliefs,
behaviours and values but also to understand those
of others – even if they disagree with them. We are
all now ‘cultural explorers’: what better context in
which to make this exploratory journey than RE.
CHARLES CLARKE
Former Secretary of State for Education
Faith is an immensely important element of the
modern world. High quality religious education is
intended to help appreciate what modern faith is, and
also what it is not. A proper comprehension of faith
is an important part of modern education and so I
welcome the efforts of Celebrating RE month to build
that understanding.
ANDREW COPSON
Chief Executive, British Humanist Association
Good RE has the potential not only to be a rigorous
introduction to the diverse philosophical heritage of
humanity but also a subject where, introduced to and
engaging with a range of religious and non-religious
beliefs and values, young people can refine their own
developing worldviews. It can be a hugely important
subject which has the potential to greatly enrich
young people’s lives.
DENISE CUSH
Professor of Religion and Education, Bath Spa
University, Chair of the Association of University
Lecturers in Religion and Education (AULRE)
Religious education is a vital component of any young
person’s education in a world where we are ever
more aware of the need for human beings to live in
peace together, sharing the resources of one planet,
in spite of our diverse beliefs, values and customs.
Religious education enables students to explore and
understand a wide variety of ways of life, both
religious and non-religious.
It also provides space for students to reflect on their
own beliefs, values and lifestyle, appreciating and
evaluating their traditions and heritage, and
developing their own perspectives. In addition,
religious education applies the insights of religious
and non-religious philosophies to the major ethical
issues facing the human race, and develops a wide
range of useful skills from discussing controversial
issues with fairness and respect to appreciating the
artefacts of other cultures.
It is still often not fully appreciated that over the last
40 years in Britain we have developed a multi-faith,
non-confessional religious education that meets the
needs of all students whether religious or not, and is
looked to as an example by other countries around
the world.
The National Celebration of Religious Education
organised by the Religious Education Council
(including the wealth of activities planned by schools,
faith communities and local authorities) provides a
marvellous opportunity for the achievements of
religious education to be brought to the attention of a
wider audience.
NAOMI DALTON
Religious Education Council Administrator
As a school student, I didn’t feel particularly inspired
by RE as a subject, particularly as most of the work
we were given was written, and did not involve any
learning outside the classroom. Since I have been
involved in the preparations for Celebrating RE
Month, however, I have had the opportunity to
witness some wonderful examples of RE being taught
well, notably through the entries we received for our
competitions.
I now realise that good RE often incorporates art,
music, history, group activities, school trips and
allows pupils of all different religious and cultural
backgrounds to explore, understand and celebrate
their differences.
Having previously worked with asylum-seeking young
people at the Refugee Council, who often told stories
of feeling isolated at school and being treated with
indifference and, at times, contempt because of their
backgrounds, I now appreciate the integral role RE
can have in bridging these social divides, and creating
a society which doesn’t just tolerate, but understands
and is proud of its diversity.
LESLIE J FRANCIS
Professor of Religions and Education
Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit
The inclusion of the question on religious affiliation in
the national census for the first time in 2001
demonstrated political commitment to recognising
the importance of the social significance of religion in
the public square. Good quality religious education is
crucial for ensuring public awareness of the rights and
responsibilities of living in a multicultural and
multifaith society.
SATOKO FUJIWARA
Professor, University of Tokyo and member of
the Executive Committee of the International
Association for the history of religions (IAHR)
Japanese researchers in religious education strongly
appreciate their relationship with religious education
specialists in England and Wales. As representatives
of the East Asian Nations, we send good wishes for
the month of Celebrating RE.
BRUCE GRELLE
Professor, California State University, Chico
and American Academy of Religion
In the United States of America it is difficult to
include studies of religion in the curriculum of
publicly funded schools. Experiments are happening,
for example with the cooperation of Harvard
University, California State University at Chico, and
the American Academy of Religion. Researchers and
curriculum developers in the United States warmly
appreciate their relationship with colleagues from
England and Wales. We send greetings and best
wishes for the Celebrating RE month.
MUHAMMAD ABDEL HALEEM
OBE, Professor of Islamic Studies,
University of London
I wholeheartedly support and appreciate the role that
multi faith RE plays in promoting understanding and
respect between communities and individuals. Our
children in this country now and in the future need to
understand and respect each other's religious
values. This is the key to the social cohesion and
harmony, which we all hope for. I sincerely hope that
this cause will receive the support it deserves from
the authorities and the public.
JOANNA HANN
Primary School Teacher and RE Coordinator
As a primary school teacher, I have a huge
responsibility and privilege to influence the children I
teach. This is not just through the teaching of
curriculum subjects, such as RE, but also by
contributing to their spiritual, moral, social and
cultural development. Children learn about faiths and
beliefs through the sights, sounds, and smells they
experience. This encourages the children to engage
with religion, learn about other people and decide
what religions and beliefs mean to them and to the
lives that they lead.
MARY HAYWARD
Associate Fellow, Warwick Religions and
Education Research Unit, University of
Warwick
Religious Studies, well taught, offers students
experiences and insights pertinent to living in the 21st
century. Students’ learning offers engagement with
those of differing faiths and cultures, and the
development of capacities - both empathetic and
critical - to understand them.
In this process students also develop their self
understanding; they encounter the question of what
it is to be human, and reflect on the human condition;
they discover the ‘visions’ of religions and other
worldviews, and the power of commitment to shape
the world for good - but also for strife and conflict. In
our global society such insights are more relevant
than ever – CELEBRATE a curriculum which affirms
them!
HANS-GUNTER HEIMBROCK
Professor, Goethe University, Frankfurt
and Convenor of ENRECA
The European network for research in
religious education (ENRECA) admires the
work that is being done in England and Wales
in the field of religious education. We wish you
a very successful month of Celebrating RE.
JOHN HULL
Honorary Professor of Practical Theology in The
Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological
Education and Emeritus Professor of Religious
Education in The University of Birmingham
Religion is not only often associated with conflicts; it
is also the source of many of the values which
promote peace. Young people growing up in a
complex world full of conflicts need to know about
religion. The search for the spiritual values which lead
to peace is also important in the personal lives of
students. For their individual lives as well as for their
wider participation in society, knowledge and
understanding of religions must continue to be a basic
aspect of educational provision.
SOLLY IRVING
Holocaust Survivor
RE is so important today because it enables young
people to understand the world and why we are
different.
Our young people are the future and it is imperative
that how they choose to live is informed by the
history of the world and the wisdom of our elders.
As a Jew and a Holocaust survivor I hope these young
people will become our future witnesses. The lessons,
from that darkest of times, must be known and not
forgotten.
Over the past ten years, I have travelled down from
London each year to speak to what must now be
over 20,000 young people in Plymouth schools.
Religious Education has created these
possibilities. These opportunities have made it
possible for me to touch their hearts and minds with
something of my testimony so that when they grow
up and go out into the world they will help build a
better future for all people.
BOB JACKSON
Director, Warwick Religions and Education
Research Unit, University of Warwick and
Professor: European Wergeland Centre, Oslo
Religious education in England and Wales does an
enormous amount to promote understanding
between people belonging to or associated with
different religious traditions. School students in
England and Wales, unlike those in many countries,
have the opportunity through religious education not
only to learn about their own religion and culture, but
to understand and appreciate the religious ways of
life of others. The Celebrating RE month is a
wonderful acknowledgement of the importance and
value of religious education in the 21st-century.
BORIS JOHNSON
Mayor of London
The importance of learning about the multitude of
religious faiths, and the various belief systems that
inform the world in which we live, should never be
underestimated. Bigotry and intolerance are the
bedfellows of ignorance, and the more that young
people in particular know about each other’s beliefs,
the more optimistic we can be about our shared
futures.
We know well in London the enormous benefits of
bringing people together and learning from, and
about, each other for the common good. I am
delighted to take this opportunity to join the chorus
celebrating ‘Religious Education in March 2011’.
CARWYN JONES
First Minister of Wales
The national celebration of religious education
recognises the important contribution that religious
education makes to the lives of young people today.
Religious education provides opportunities to explore
personal beliefs and values and to gain understanding
of the issues that face religions and beliefs today.
By raising and responding to challenging religious and
human questions, it is hoped that young people will
be better prepared to challenge intolerance and
prejudice and to create a more positive future for all
based on justice, equality and mutual respect.
I wish the Religious Education Council of England and
Wales every success in its celebration of religious
education.
JOHN KEAST
OBE, Former National Adviser on RE
to the Department for Education
When taught well, RE works well – for children, young
people and adults.
March 2011 is a celebration of that and should be
enjoyed by all!
FELICITY KENDAL
CBE, Actress
I think it is essential that children are exposed to and
learn about religions other than their own. We live in
a multi-cultural society and now, more than
ever before, we need young people to grow up with
the understanding and tolerance of the many
different faiths.
CLIVE A LAWTON
Chair SHAP Working Party on Education
in World Religions
RE is now perhaps the most relevant subject on the
curriculum for the 21st century that faces us. Hardly a
day goes by without evidence in the media that a
more informed understanding of religions and the
motivations and passions they arouse would be a
boon to all of us. RE at its best today is vibrant,
thought-provoking, relevant and constructive. It is
wide-ranging and challenging and spans the
macrocosm of human civilisation and the microcosm
of the innermost corners of the human heart like no
other subject.
TERENCE LOVAT
Pro-Vice Chancellor, University of Newcastle,
New South Wales, Australia
Australian researchers follow the religious education
scene in England and Wales closely. We very much
admire the work that is going on there to promote
understanding of different religions in schools. We
send you our very best wishes for a successful month
of Celebrating RE.
JONATHAN MARSHALL
MBE, Director Plymouth Centre
for Faiths and Cultural Diversity
The study of religious education has always provided
exacting academic rigour, the same as other core
subjects. In addition, through the exploration of the
world of belief, faith and culture, young people learn
how to approach and handle the most sensitive and
controversial issues that human beings can face, with
respect, openness and compassion. In short, they
learn what it means to be human.
Where else but in school can we hope that our young
people have opportunities to understand what
matters most in life and what is really worth doing?
RE can potentially touch the hearts and minds of
young people, inspiring them to live differently and
more wisely.
ELIZABETH A MATEAR
Moderator of the Free Churches
Religious education in our schools can best serve our
children and our communities when it facilitates
understanding and respect for faith and spirituality. It
should promote discussion and when taught well, will
be relevant, strengthen positive attitudes to life and
deepen appreciation of our diverse society. As part of
the school curriculum for all students it will enable
evaluation and tolerance. To ensure the best quality
and outcome it will require expertise in the subject.
MOLLY
Year 7 School Student
I like RE because it allows people to understand
different cultures and societies and how they
approach everyday things such as what you can eat or
drink and what is acceptable in different societies
because of religion. It also gives you a chance to be
able to learn more about your own beliefs and/or
religion and be able to talk with confidence and
reassurance that other people know about your
religion too.
I do not properly believe in any sort of religion, but I
still enjoy discussing religious topics and how
different subjects like music and history are linked to
religion. I think religious education is a very
important part of the curriculum and of life. We need
RE because religion and culture are all around us and
we cannot help but ask questions about them.
BILL MOORE
Chair, National Association of Standing
Advisory Councils on Religious Education
(NASACRE)
Why is religious education important?
People have a tendency to want to make sense of life,
to find meaning and purpose. RE enables pupils to
explore these issues, learning about themselves and
their place in the world from their study of religion. In
doing so, they learn about religions and beliefs which
have influenced the lives of millions of people and
heavily influenced the development of different
human cultures.
It is both rigorously academic and deeply personal – it
reaches the parts of the person that other subjects
fail to reach. In our rapidly changing world, we need
people who can value human dignity, challenge
injustice and shape a hopeful vision for all humanity.
This is the stuff of good RE and I cannot see why any
school would not want to give it a very high priority!
VINCENT NICHOLS
Archbishop of Westminster
Nobody should be in any doubt of the importance of
religious education in Britain today. Our history,
culture and identities are incomprehensible without a
firm grasp of the importance or religious faith and
teachings and way of life that emerge from such faith.
Ignorance of religion is ignorance of humanity. A
people marked by such ignorance will not appreciate
their own humanity.
The purpose of religious education is, for those who
live by faith, that they understand their own faith in
its integrity and other peoples’ faiths in their
diversity. For those who are searching, religious
education is a chance to explore the great riches of
the human spirit in its pondering on the mystery of
life and of God. Religious education is essentially
about the quest for truth. It is a great service to our
society.
PETER OWEN-JONES
Priest, author and television presenter
Evolution can not provide any kind of moral compass.
What we see in R.E. is a reflection of the human
journey expressed from a place of wonder where the
worst and the best of our humanity has left us with
the all important question of what it is to be human.
The dilemmas, the dances, the vulnerabilities of the
human story as seen from the garden of the divine. It
is our imagination played out in the image of God and
whether you believe in God or not it is still the most
riveting story in town.
ED PAWSON
Chair of NATRE
We live in an increasingly diverse society, where the
need to understand each other has never been
greater. Understanding takes effort, requiring us not
just to tolerate each other, but to actively engage
with those with whom we may not always feel totally
comfortable, because they may seem different.
Celebrating RE is a fantastic opportunity to show off
the valuable contribution religious education can
make in helping young people to push through the
barriers of distrust and open up to the possibility of a
society where faith, colour and culture are no bar.
ANA PERONA-FIELDSTADT
Director, European Wergeland Centre, Oslo
From the perspective of the Council of Europe, which
has 47 member states and many other observer
states, the European Wergeland Centre warmly
appreciates the contribution to interreligious and
intercultural understanding promoted by religious
education in England and Wales.
The European Wergeland Centre aims to promote
education for human rights, democratic citizenship
and intercultural education, including the dimension
of religion. The staff of the European Wergeland
Centre send their best wishes for the month of
Celebrating RE in England and Wales.
GERVASE PHINN
Teacher, author and speaker
I taught RE for 15 years and it is the most demanding
of all curriculum subjects, but also the most exciting
because you’re using pupils' own views and opinions
for learning about what really matters in life.
Of course RE lessons – the same as all religions - are
about the power of story. Storytelling goes across the
religions. The importance of narrative in all religions
is vital. The very point of education is growth, says
Plato - it’s ‘to make good men and good women act
nobly.’
Teachers carry a massive responsibility shared with
rabbis, imams and religious teachers from all faiths
because you can change a child’s life, heal or hurt,
inspire or disparage. You all want for your own
children, if you have them, the best teachers. In RE
lessons, the power of story to move you to
compassion and care sits alongside powerful
arguments about euthanasia, abortion or life after
death.
The point is that RE is a subject where relationships
are a bit different because you’re not just imparting
knowledge but talking about the nature of God.
MARK RAESIDE
QC
As a parent I am particularly struck by the general
interest in RE amongst young people in this
country. This interest extends beyond an emotional
connection to RE to a serious academic interest and
understanding of religion and of the great diversity of
religious faith around the world. Thus far all my
children have studied, or are on their way to study
Theology or Religious Studies at University; and these
appear to be very popular subjects amongst their
friends from school.
Moreover as degree subjects they are highly valued
by employers, in the sure knowledge that graduates
in these subjects have the ability to discuss in depth
and breadth a variety of different responses to some
of the greatest fundamental thoughts and practices of
the world. This resonates and is in tune with the
global multicultural world in which we all now have
to live and maybe surprisingly in fact puts young
people in touch with reality.
JONATHAN SACKS
Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew
Congregations of the Commonwealth
Religious education received at school is a formative
part of the Jewish experience. It imbues our children
with a strong Jewish identity, connects them with
Judaism's values and traditions and encourages them
to be good citizens. And studying RE is of vital
importance to schoolchildren of all backgrounds. It
enables them to understand and respect those of
other faiths that form the fabric of our society. I am
delighted to send my blessings in this month of
Celebrating RE.
JOHN SENTAMU
Archbishop of York
As the Church of England’s National Society
celebrates 200 years of Church Schools, it is good to
hear that The Religious Education Council will be
joining us in celebrating the importance of RE lessons
at this time. I wish the Religious Education Council
every success with its activities to highlight RE’s
distinctive contribution to young people’s spiritual
and moral development, national integration and
social justice, as well as its aim to engage nationally
with faith and community leaders.
CLARE SHORT
Former Secretary of State for International
Development
We are living at a time of growing division in the
world, based on a false understanding of each other's
religions and beliefs. It is now more important than
ever that all children, and as many adults as possible,
learn about the world's great religions. We need to
understand and respect each other's beliefs. And we
can gain a deeper understanding of our own religious
tradition by studying other traditions.
But even more important, at this time, we need to be
reminded of how often religious difference has been
misused throughout history to whip up hatred and of
the terrible consequences humanity has endured,
over and over again, in war, suffering and injustice.
GEIR SKEIE
Professor, Stockholm University, Sweden
and Stavanger University, Norway
Researchers in the Nordic countries have a strong
interest in religious education and follow the debates
and research in the UK with particular interest. There
are both similarities and differences between our
countries in this respect, and the exchange is
enriching.
We were pleased to hear about Celebrating RE, and
send our best wishes for a month of exciting
activities.
OPINDERJIT KAUR TAKHAR
Department of Religious Studies,
University of Wolverhampton
RE is a vital subject for our schools if we are to
produce a tolerant and caring society. It is
significantly through their RE lessons in schools that
children become aware of the diverse nature of multi
faith Britain. Without RE, far too many negative
stereotypes and unthinking prejudices would exist as
a result of ignorance.
RE enables children to understand why communities
and individuals may dress, practise and believe
differently to themselves. Without RE being taught in
schools, social harmony and community cohesion
would be virtually unachievable.
PHRA NICHOLAS THANISSARO
Buddhist monk
Unlike many other countries, Britain upholds an
educational duty to include Buddhism (and other
major religions) in the curricula schoolchildren
throughout the country must study from a very early
age. For Buddhists, this year's national RE celebration,
is about discovering how religion is studied in school
and finding helpful ways to participate in making sure
the precious few hours children learn about
Buddhism, are as enlightening as possible.
DAME JANET TROTTER
DBE, Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire
As a young person I became increasingly excited by
the power of religious education to establish patterns
of meaning and value for individuals and
communities. This was reinforced when I became a
teacher and lecturer of religious education and as I
learned more about the rich traditions and patterns
of faith in our society.
It has been argued that religion divides communities
but, in my experience, effective religious education
has the capacity to help increase understanding of
the world in which we live, appreciate difference and
similarity and enhance community cohesion. These
skills and capacities are vital for individuals making
their way in the twenty first century in a diverse and
multi faith society.
CHE WEBSTER
PGCE student, Bishop Grosseteste University
At a time when it seems religious tension is entering a
new and heightened state, with ignorance and
intolerance threatening to undermine the values of
our nation, RE stands as a key opportunity to help our
children to engage with the diversity of our world.
Religion touches every human life, all of human
history, and is the great inheritance of the newest
generation.
ROWAN WILLIAMS
Archbishop of Canterbury
Good RE helps our young people to understand and
appreciate the Christian faith which is central to the
lives of so many people in this country, and which has
shaped its culture and history. It also helps them to
understand the other major historic world faiths that
are increasingly part of our national life in a
globalised word.
In 2011 the Church of England’s National Society will
be celebrating 200 years of Church Schools. I am
delighted that the Religious Education Council will be
joining us in celebrating RE at this time.
JULIAN STERN
Dean of Education and Theology
York St John University
RE has all the advantages of being able to draw on the
cultural and historical resources of all the peoples of
the world. And it also has all the advantages of
drawing on the understandings of the pupils studying
the subject. It is ‘grand and historical’ and it is deeply
personal.
Being involved in RE, as a teacher as much as a
learner, is one of the great opportunities to discuss
some of the most important of life’s questions and
some of the most fascinating of the
answers to those questions.