Religious education
A new all-party parliamentary group (APPG) will be set up to focus on safeguarding the provision of religious education in schools. It will explore how the subject can continue to deliver a valuable dimension to the education of all children and young people.
The Church of England, Catholic Church, and representatives from the Buddhist, Jewish, Sikh and Muslim faiths, have joined forces to support the group.
Other organisations getting on board include the British Humanist Association and professional religious education teaching associations.
Stephen Lloyd, MP for Eastbourne and Willingdon, has agreed to chair the group, with its secretariat provided by the Religious Education Council of England and Wales.
In a statement, Mr Lloyd said, ‘I’m confident this new APPG will be able to provide insight into the value of RE, especially as it helps young people leave school with an accurate grasp on the importance and relevance of religion’.
This follows an agreement from 115 MPs from all parties, which said the Government should include religious education as a humanities subject in the English Baccalaureate.
