Opening a Gateway to the World – The Role of Governing Boards as Champions of Religious Education

Governing boards find themselves at a critical crossroads as they seek to reflect the demands of the modern world through their ambition for the next generation of history makers and society shapers. One thing most boards agree on is that simply maintaining the status quo isn’t enough – the responsibility of supporting young people to step out on their own into a world exhausted by in the pace of change is immense. What school and trust decision makers decide to invest time and resources on, is not straightforward.

The late John Hull, an Emeritus Professor of Religious Education at the University of Birmingham, pointed to Religious Education (RE) as being something that could effectively address the universal need of “understanding the richness of human experience and the profound questions of meaning and purpose.” RE is often misunderstood as indoctrination, and some parents and stakeholders can be nervous about a ‘hidden agenda’. But in reality, RE provides a vital opening into wider societal understanding of what motivates billions of people across the globe. It isn’t just sociological or theological voices that promote the value of RE in a syllabus of learning, but also great scientific minds, perhaps most famously reflected in Albert Einstein’s stated belief that “science without religion is lame”.

Despite this, the quality of RE across the English education sector is inconsistent, bitty and hard to measure. While the upcoming curriculum review, described as a “once in a generation opportunity” may address some of these inconsistencies alongside foundational issues with the curriculum, and the introduction of the RE national standards, perhaps we need to address why governing boards should be thinking about where RE sits in their offering, asking themselves ‘are we advocates or opponents, or simply indifferent to this subject’s place in a child’s learning journey?’

Not another statutory obligation

When budgets tighten and timetables become crowded, it’s easy to allow the strategic parameters of governance to prevent board engagement in subject specific discussions. Perhaps slightly ironically, RE often faces marginalisation as a meaningful part of ‘mission-based’ conversations, despite its statutory status. Now more than ever, in a world where polarised views are becoming a disturbing norm, delivering on the ‘mission’ of equitable education opportunities through preparing pupils for the realities of society is 100% a strategic priority.

Recent research from University College London (UCL)* shows a correlation between “epistemic haves and have-nots” and broader social inequities. When schools fail to deliver robust RE, they inadvertently contribute to educational inequity, particularly affecting disadvantaged pupils in the development of a worldview that is so vital to mobility. So again, boards need to be seeing this not just about a conversation about a particular ‘subject’, but validity of the curriculum in equipping pupils with what is needed to live their lives.

A unique window on the world

Quality RE offers primary pupils something uniquely valuable: structured exploration of life’s biggest questions. For those governing primary schools, this means asking big questions:

1. Is RE approached as part of an ambitious learning journey or simply a compliance matter?
2. Do some pupils receive rich opportunities to develop critical thinking about diverse worldviews while others receive virtually none?

As strategic leaders, governing boards should:

1. Champion RE’s place in a broad and balanced curriculum by asking informed questions about curriculum time, teacher expertise, and resource allocation.
2. Monitor implementation, ensuring RE isn’t treated as an afterthought.
3. Challenge misunderstandings about the subject’s purpose – RE is not simply about “respecting other religions” but developing worldviews.
4. Connect RE to whole-school priorities like social cohesion and critical thinking.

As governors and trustees, we have the opportunity to advocate for a more coherent approach. When we champion RE, we stand for a future where all pupils have the ‘balanced’ window on the world they deserve.