Beyond Belief

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Beyond Belief: What Should We Teach in RE?

What Should We Teach in RE?

BBC Radio 4 - Beyond Belief, What Should We Teach in RE?

The quality of RE teaching is a 'postcode lottery'. What needs to change?

Teacher and Tik-Toker @mrsreandpsheteacher shares her passion for religious education, but says there are problems. What needs to change and why is it important?

Teacher and Tik-Toker Henna Karin-Sayer (@mrsreandpsheteacher) shares her passion for her subject, and the challenges facing those trying to teach religious education today. 

A shortage of experienced subject teachers and a very mixed picture in what children are taught has led to a 'post-code lottery' in the quality of RE teaching. The subject has different names and different legal requirements depending on what nation your child goes to school in, but it's compulsory to teach religious education to all children across the UK throughout their school life. The differences are in what is taught, how it's taught and the quality of teaching. 

Fiona Moss is the CEO of the National Association of Teachers for Religious Education (NATRE), advising and training hundreds of teachers every year and lobbying for better funding. Stephen Evans is the Chief Executive Officer for the National Secular Society and Rabbi Benjy Rickman is Head of Religious Education at King David High School in Manchester, a Jewish faith school. They debate how the subject is and should be changing and why it's important. 

Producer: Rebecca Maxted
Assistant Producer: Ruth Purser

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