Changing the name to ‘Religion and Worldviews’: a dilution or salvation of RE?

The RE Commission report (2018) recommended changing the name of Religious Education (RE) in England to ‘Religion and Worldviews’. This is in part in recognition of the diversity of religions and the rise in people who adhere to no religion (Woodhead, 2016). History records the previous name change for RE from Religious Instruction which was seen as too confessional, even for some inferring indoctrination. ‘Religion and Worldviews’ may appeal to those who want to acknowledge the breadth of views within England; and it may remove the perceived threat of RE equating to education to ‘be religious’. Or help to answer pupils’ queries of why they need to study RE when they don’t believe in God (Jones, 2013).

However, ‘Religion and Worldviews’ is seen by some as problematic. Worldviews followed by individuals are not neatly definable nor easily reduced to a useful 6 week unit of work. Does this place an individual’s eclectic mix of views on the same level as a faith practiced for thousands of years with traditions, scripture and liturgy? If these are seen as equally valid this might lead to a dilution of RE. In a letter to the Religious Education Council of England and Wales, Damian Hinds, the Education secretary, rejected the Commission’s proposals stating that “some stakeholders” had expressed “concerns that making statutory the inclusion of ‘worldviews’ risks diluting the teaching of RE”¹

However, I suggest that studying ‘Religion and Worldviews’ enables teachers and pupils to have a greater understanding of religion(s). When I teach pupils, trainee teachers and in-service teachers I begin by enabling them to identify aspects of their own worldviews. We examine the evolution of their worldviews and we attempt to trace the impact these may have on their lives: on their values, norms, practices and beliefs. For individuals who have no religious faith allegiance this enables them to recognise the belief system, or worldviews, within their own life and the origins, evolution and impact of these worldviews. This challenges the myth of neutrality (Bryan and Revell, 2011) and facilitates greater understanding of religion(s). Rather than seen as an alien concept, religion(s) may be viewed as an alternative provider of values, norms, practices and beliefs. Thus ‘Religion and Worldviews’ may save the subject of RE by facilitating greater depth of engagement into religion(s) themselves. Rather than religion(s) possibly being reduced to clothes and food that ‘different’ people eat, pupils and teachers can engage with the essence of faith – the guiding system throughout an individual’s life.

Without recognition of teachers’ personal worldviews RE faces a further danger of being watered down to the most palatable aspects of religion(s) that fit with the teacher’s own worldviews (Flanagan, 2019, unpublished thesis). Recognition of teachers’ own worldviews may help to stem this tide and prove to be the salvation of RE.

1- Cited on https://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2018/12/education-secretary-dismisses-calls-for-re-reform-in-england

References

Bryan, H and Revell, L. (2011) Performativity, faith and Professional Identity:

Student religious education teachers and the ambiguities of objectivity.

British Journal of Education Studies. 54 (4), 403 -419.

Flanagan, R (2019) ‘Unlocking Reflexivity: Is identifying worldviews a key for non-specialist teachers of

RE?’ Unpublished MPhil thesis. University of Exeter, UK.

Jones, A. (2013) The irony of religious education? It needs to include atheists and humanists. The Guardian. 23rd October 2013. Available at https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/oct/23/religious-education-include-atheists-humanists

National Secular Society (2018) ‘Education secretary dismisses commission’s call for RE reform’. Available at https://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2018/12/education-secretary-dismisses-calls-for-re-reform-in-england

RE Commission report (2018) Final Report. Religion and Worldviews: The Way Forward. A national plan for RE. Available at: https://www.commissiononre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Final-Report-of-the-Commission-on-RE.pdf

Woodhead, L. (2016) ‘The rise of ‘no religion’ in Britain: The emergence of a new cultural majority’. Journal of the British Academy. Volume 4, pp. 245-261, 8 December 2016.