Church of England criticises ‘watered down’ religious education

New GCSE reforms will see the introduction of the Ebacc system from September this year. Under the new system, pupils will be required to study the core subjects of maths, English, science, history or geography and a language.

Reverend Genders has said that by not including RE within these core subjects, the new system risks causing both schools and pupils to view the subject as ‘weak’, which could lead to a spiral of decline in both uptake and teaching standards.

Speaking to the Telegraph, Reverend Genders said that a move away from RE is leading to a lack of understanding about theology, creating a ‘moral vacuum’ that is fuelling an increase in extremism among the country’s youth.

Reverend Genders, said: “We’re particularly concerned that the place of RE in the curriculum is strengthened and enhanced rather than diluted, particularly at the current time when everyone is saying that if we are going to fit children and young people for life in a modern world.

“In order to play their part in the modern world, that kind of religious literacy is crucial.

“Rabbi Johnathon Sack’s book ‘Not in God’s name’ [talks] about the increasing secularisation that we’re living within [which] is actually the thing that is fuelling the surge in extremist behaviour and radicalisation.

“Young people are looking for some sort of religious identity, and they’re finding just a moral vacuum because religion has been side-lined or its been treated as a subject that you can actually water down to be something about values or something about citizenship.”

A spokesman for the Department for Education said: “Any suggestion that the Ebacc has adversely affected the numbers taking religious studies is nonsense. [This year’s] results show that entries in the rigorous religious studies GCSE are at the highest since 2002 and entries at A level are up 20 per cent since 2010.

“That’s why it’s essential we recruit and train RE teachers. This year we are offering a bursary, of up to £9,000, for RE trainees. We are working with the sector to encourage high quality graduates, and in particular those with specialist degrees.”

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