Education watchdog OFSTED has reported that pupils are leaving school with a “very limited understanding” of Christianity due to a dip in teaching standards of Religious Education.
Weak on Christianity
After inspecting 185 schools, a report by OFSTED warned that teaching about Britain’s principal religion was “one of the weakest aspects” of RE lessons in English state schools
In a third of primary schools, teaching about Christianity received the lowest possible ranking by OFSTED.
Review
Religious education is compulsory in all English state schools but as it is not part of the national curriculum, individual schools and councils draw up their own syllabuses. OFTSED recommends that this system is put under review.
Michael Cladingbowl, OFSTED’s director of schools, said: “Religious education in schools matters. It develops children’s understanding of belief and the world in which we live…
“This just isn’t good enough when religion and belief are playing such a profound part in today’s world. Pupils deserve much better.”
Poor standards
Six in ten primary schools and just over half of all secondary schools investigated by OFSTED reportedly have ‘poor standards’ of Religious Education, with it often being side-lined in favour of other subjects and extra-curricular activities.
The inadequate teaching of Religious Education is also reflected in a dip from 427,000 to 390,000 pupils taking full or short course GCSEs in the subject in the last 12 months.
Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, aired his concerns about the failing teaching of Religious Education in July, stating that the Government had “not done enough” to promote the subject.
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