ABSTRACT
Religious Education (RE) is currently facing challenging times. Some of these challenges are legal and policy-related, concerning the control and organisation of RE. Some are rooted in deficiencies in terms of human resourcing and funding. Some are grounded in the study of religion(s), for example, unresolved conceptual, theoretical and methodological debates. Some are reflections of societal and cultural transformations, including changing beliefs, values, practices and identities, as well as the shifting private and public relevance and significance of religious literacy. At the same time as facing these challenges, there have been moves towards revolutionary changes in the nature, purpose and scope of RE, for example the 11 recommendations of the Commission on Religious Education (2018), which was sponsored by the Religious Education Council of England and Wales. This two-year-long Commission collected evidence from ‘a wide-range of concerned parties including pupils, teachers, lecturers, advisers, parents and faith and belief communities’ (Commission on Religious Education, 2018, p. i). Whilst reception of these recommendations has been mostly positive, an initial response from the British Government was more muted. Further progress is dependent on, amongst other things, an increased consensus and unity across the whole RE community, and a willingness and opportunity within parliamentary processes to draft, discuss, pass and enact any necessary legislation.
