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Abstract
The ‘Does RE Work?’ project, part of the AHRC/ESRC Religion & Society Programme, ran from 2007 to 2011. Drawing on textual analysis, ethnographic case studies and practitioner enquiry, the study identified core confusions as to the purposes and entailments of Religious Education as practised across the jurisdictions of the UK. This paper reflects on key developments in the area of religion and schools under the Coalition and Conservative governments in the light of the key findings of the project. While progress has been made towards a shared conception of the meaning and purpose of the subject, confusion persists as to the contested status of RE as a rigorous subject in the academic humanities. The paper makes recommendations with regard to the place of RE in a climate of increased interest and inspection of civic, personal and religious values and their place across the curriculum.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Funding
The project: ‘Does RE Work? An analysis of the aims, practices and models of effectiveness in Religious Education in the UK’ was funded by the AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Programme [award number #AH/F009135/1].
Acknowledgements
The author wishes to acknowledge the contributions of Professor Vivienne Baumfield, Dr Philip Barnes and Professor James Conroy in the development of this paper.
Notes
1. It must be noted that, in correspondence with the Association of University Lecturers in Religious Education, the Department for Education stated no intention to change the current statutory duty on Local Authorities to convene Standing Advisory Councils on RE, despite plans to effectively abolish the duty of any school to follow the Local Authority Agreed Syllabus. Expectations of change to the statutory settlement may yet prove to be premature or exaggerated.