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20 January 2022PoliticalThe REC calls on supporters of Religious education to challenge the government to fund Religious education curriculum projects. Government ministers make regular statements about the way they value Religious education....- 13 January 2022PoliticalLate last year, Education Wales made the following statement in relation to the school curriculum for Wales: ”From 2022 Religious education in Wales will be renamed ‘Religion, values and...
- 18 December 2021PoliticalThe current project is funded by the Rayne Trust, aims to encourage young people to talk about their religious education and to become Champions for RE. The project is...
- 8 November 2021PoliticalThe Policy Unit met with Clive Harris - senior policy officer for the Local Government Association. We wanted to raise awareness of local authority responsibilities for RE with local...
- 8 October 2021PoliticalNewly appointed minister for school standards; Robin Walker MP acknowledges the value of RE for a range of careers in response to letter by RE Today CEO Zoe Keens....
- 30 September 2021PoliticalThe Policy Unit met with Kim Leadbeater MP for Batley and Spen. She was very supportive and offered to take further action to support our campaign. She subsequently tabled...
- 12 September 2021PoliticalThe RE Policy unit is working with CSTG consultants on recruiting and deploying a series of Champions for RE. We produced a role description including some suggested activities. We...
- 8 September 2021PoliticalWe were pleased to support publicity around CSTG’s survey into public perception of RE. This survey demonstrates that contrary to previous surveys, parents and employers do value RE. Press...
- 8 September 2021PoliticalRobert Halfon MP asked a series of questions to Ofsted Chair; Dame Caroline Ryan about RE during an Education Select Committee meeting.
- 20 August 2021PoliticalThe Policy Unit produced a press release for both the GCSE and A level results and this was reported in a number of outlets. We were invited to appear...
- 8 August 2021PoliticalThe REC submitted a response to the Initial Teacher Training Market Review. The main focus of the response was the omission of RE from the subjects listed for inclusion...
- 8 April 2021PoliticalAs part of REPU, NATRE representatives, supported by Politicomms, met with Wes Streeting MP for an hour to discuss RE
- 31 January 2021PoliticalThis summary document was produced by the RE Policy Unit (REPU) in collaboration with the REC’s Education Committee.
- 1 December 2020Media releases, PoliticalGovernment Independent Faith Engagement Review. Call for evidence closes 11th December 2020. The consultation closes on 11th December.
- 4 October 2019PoliticalThe Welsh Government has announced that it is consulting on key potential changes to the teaching of Religious Education (RE). The reforms up for consultation include a potential change...
- 11 July 2019Media Appearances, PoliticalOn 11th July 2019, NatCen released the results of the 36th British Social Attitudes survey, which included a detailed chapter on the topic of attitudes towards religion. RE Council of...
- 15 December 2018Commission on RE, Media releases, PoliticalThe Secretary of State for Education, Damian Hinds, has written to the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Chair of the Commission on Religious Education, with a response to the...
- 16 August 2018PoliticalOn 4th July 2018 the REC organised a Parliamentary luncheon to discuss the barriers and challenges to RE teacher recruitment with MPs and policy experts. The lunch was attended...
- 31 July 2018Political, Young AmbassadorsOn Monday 9th July 2018, 80 Year 10-12 students from schools across England came to Parliament to debate some of the key issues around the teaching of Religious Education.Four...
- 12 June 2018PoliticalThe RE Council's Chief Executive, Rudolf Eliott Lockhart, and the drafter of the Commission on Religious Education, Amira Tharani, went to 10 Downing Street on Monday 11 June to...
- 11 June 2018Media releases, PoliticalThe Religious Education Council (REC) has appointed Kishan Devani FRSA to undertake ambassadorial work on its behalf. Kishan will be working with faith and belief communities, and with politicians,...
- 9 May 2018Media releases, PoliticalNew guidance in Wales has clarified the position of non-religious people sitting on SACREs in Wales. Kirsty Williams AM, the Cabinet Secretary for Education in Wales, in a letter...
- 10 October 2017PoliticalFor the fourth year running, the RE Council, NATRE and RE Today represented religious education on stands at the Labour and Conservative party conferences. Representatives from all three organisations,...
- 20 April 2017Educators, Political, SchoolsWith the General Election fewer than 50 days away, and political parties hurrying to put together their manifestos, here are four things that we would like to see them...
- 27 September 2016PoliticalRE Teacher Naomi Anstice on the stand at the Labour Party Conference For the third year running, the RE Council, NATRE and RE Today will be representing RE on stands at the...
- 1 July 2016PoliticalIn a week of high drama at Westminster, three MPs still found the time to meet with the REC to discuss the important work that we are undertaking. On Tuesday...
- 3 May 2016Political, Young AmbassadorsOn Friday 15th of April, 2016 the Young Ambassadors for RE at the Queen Katherine School in Kendal invited Tim Farron, the leader of the Liberal Democrats Party and their...
- 2 April 2016PoliticalOn 8th March the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Religious Education met in order to discuss changes to its purpose statement. At that meeting, the APPG agreed a...
- 14 January 2016PoliticalIn January 2016, the REC made a statement to clarify its new relationship with the APPG on RE, for which the REC had previously acted as secretariat.
- 14 June 2015PoliticalOn Monday 13th June the REC met with the Schools Minister, Nick Gibb MP. Trevor Cooling, Rudolf Eliott Lockhart, and Deborah Weston, respectively the Chair of the REC, the...
- 30 January 2015Political, Young AmbassadorsOn 27 January, Stephen Lloyd, chair of the APPG on RE hosted an event at 1 Parliament Street, during which MPs had the opportunity to publicise their support for...
- 28 January 2015Political, Young AmbassadorsSixteen MPs from across the main political parties took part in an All Party Parliamentary Group event to publicise their belief that good RE should be available for all...
- 23 December 2014Educators, PoliticalResponse from the REC Board to the DfE exam criteria consultation: 23 December 2014
- 12 November 2014Educators, Members, PoliticalNick Gibb, Minister of State for School Reform, addressed a meeting of member representatives of the RE Council on 7th November at the Zoroastrian Centre, Harrow. Mr Gibb affirmed the government's support...
- 8 May 2014Members, PoliticalHuw Lewis, Minister for Education in Wales, addressed members of the Religious Education Council of England and Wales at its annual general meeting yesterday. Welcoming them to the historic...
- 17 March 2014Media releases, PoliticalMPs publish report on RE’s contribution to community relations An inquiry by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Religious Education (RE) has found that RE lessons have a key role...
- 17 March 2014PoliticalThe All Party Parliamentary Group on RE has published a summary report following a five-month inquiry into the contribution of RE to good community relations. The inquiry, co-ordinated by Dr...
- 4 July 2013Media releases, PoliticalSecretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, has admitted that RE has become an "unintended casualty of reforms" and has committed the Department for Education to "revitalising the conversations...
- 27 June 2013PoliticalYoung Ambassadors for RE made a big impression when they spoke to MPs on Monday 24th June 2013. The focus of this APPG meeting was to celebrate the best...
- 21 May 2013Political, Young AmbassadorsYoung Ambassadors from the Venerable Bede CE Academy tell us: This is one of our latest developments in the Young Ambassador project. We have recently contacted our local MP -...
- 18 March 2013Media releases, PoliticalAll party report ‘RE: The Truth Unmasked highlights lack of support for and provision of qualified RE teachers A report by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Religious Education...
- 18 March 2013Media releases, PoliticalOn Friday, 15th March Stephen Lloyd MP visited the Cavendish School in Eastbourne, where he met with staff and pupils in the RE department which has as an excellent...
- 8 February 2013Educators, PoliticalComments on Michael Gove’s statement in the House of Commons and DfE publication of new arrangements for the national curriculum, GCSEs and school accountability on 7 February 2013 from...
- 26 November 2012Media releases, PoliticalA group of cross party MPs has joined forces to launch an inquiry into the supply of and support for teachers of Religious Education (RE) in all schools. The inquiry...
- 6 November 2012PoliticalThe All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Religious Education was launched on Monday, 11th June 2012.
- 22 October 2012Educators, PoliticalCommenting on the Department’s MORI survey of 618 state-maintained secondary schools to assess the effects of the EBacc, John Keast, chair of the RE Council said: “The EBacc has sent a...
- 19 October 2012Educators, PoliticalDear Mr Clegg, We were delighted to hear of your remarks about the importance of education following your visit to Auschwitz with the Holocaust Educational Trust. We agree, “Indifference and...
- 12 October 2012Educators, PoliticalDear Mr Gove, The vocal responses to Gary Lineker's 'eating grass' comments on Al Jazeera only go to show how important religious literacy is in our society. It should not...
- 30 March 2012Media releases, PoliticalMinister of State for Schools, Nick Gibb, has asked the Religious Education Council for England and Wales (REC) to consider excellent practice in RE teaching and present its findings...
- 17 February 2012Media releases, PoliticalToday, the Church of England, the Catholic Church, the Buddhist, Jewish, Sikh and Muslim faiths, the British Humanist Association and professional RE teaching associations are joining forces to support...
- 15 December 2010Educators, Media releases, PoliticalResearch among young people, including school leavers and those in full-time education, indicates that Religious Education (RE) is a valued subject that leaves a lasting impression on those who...
