High-quality Religion and Worldviews education for every pupil, in every school
Millions of young people receive no — or low-quality — religious education that does not prepare them for further education, work and life in the UK and the wider world. Rethink RE wants to change that.
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What is Rethink RE?
Rethink RE is a campaign led by the National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE) and the Religious Education Council of England and Wales. We are calling for every young person in every school to receive a high-quality education in Religion and Worldviews.
We believe religious education should be academically rigorous, grounded in the authentic experiences of real people and communities, and focused on what young people actually need to flourish in further education, work and life.
That means aligning how the subject is taught in schools with how it is studied in universities — drawing on theology, philosophy, history, sociology and literary studies to give young people the scholarly tools to explore religious and non-religious responses to life’s big questions.
In an increasingly globalised, interconnected world — where questions of meaning, identity, belief and purpose are encountered daily, on social media, in communities and in public debate — the religion and worldviews approach to RE has become a vitally important part of young people’s education.
Learn more about the Religion and Worldviews approach →
What do we want?
We are calling on the Government to use this opportunity to:
- Establish a statutory national entitlement to a high-quality education in Religion and Worldviews for all pupils in all schools
- Ensure the Religion and Worldviews approach is embedded in the new curriculum framework, aligned with current academic thinking
- Invest in teacher training and professional development so that every RE teacher has the subject knowledge and resources to deliver it
What MPs can do
If you agree that every young person deserves the scholarly tools to navigate a world where questions of meaning, belief and identity are everywhere — here is how you can help:
Engage in a local dialogue
Connect with us to better understand the state of RE in your constituency. Let us work together to identify areas that need improvement.
Raise Parliamentary Questions
Your support in raising Parliamentary Questions about RE — including curriculum standards, teacher training bursaries and inspection evidence — can make a significant difference. Contact us if you can facilitate these.
Support a request for a Westminster Hall debate
We are seeking support from MPs to secure a Westminster Hall debate on the future of religious education ahead of the Government’s curriculum decisions. A debate would put RE on the Parliamentary agenda at the most critical moment in its recent history, and send a clear signal to ministers that the subject commands cross-party support. Contact us to add your support.
Enquire About Teacher Training
Ask ministers why trainee secondary teachers in RE receive such small bursaries and do not receive subject knowledge enhancement grants — and what the Government intends to do about it.
Are you a parent, student, educator or an employer? Find out how you can make a difference too.
Support our campaign
Sign up now and support our campaign to ensure a statutory entitlement to a high-quality education in Religion and Worldviews for all pupils in all schools.
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Campaign updates
What will students learn?
The proposed National Entitlement to an education in Religion and Worldviews would ensure that all pupils in all schools are entitled to high-quality education in the subject and that the curriculum is structured so that it is fit for purpose and relevant for today’s pupils and their lives in a modern and multi-religious and multi-secular world.
The proposal says:
Pupils are entitled to be taught, by well qualified and resourced teachers, so that they gain knowledge and understanding about:
What religion is and worldviews are, and how they are studied.
The impact of religious and non …
Role of RE in schools debated on BBC One
There has been extensive media coverage since the Telegraph misrepresented NATRE’s anti-racist RE materials in an article on 15 June. NATRE were invited to take part in a discussion on BBC1’s Sunday Morning Live on 27th June.
Read the full update