An evaluation of the Catholic response to the Final Report from the Commission on Religious Education
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An evaluation of the Catholic response to the Final Report from the Commission on Religious Education Sean Whittle1 Accepted: 9 September 2020 / Published online: 19 September 2020 © Australian Catholic University 2020
Abstract The Commission on Religious Education’s Final Report, Religion and Worldviews: The Way Forward, a national plan for RE (https://www.commissiononre.org.uk/wp-content/ uploads/2018/09/Final-Report-of-the-Commission-on-RE.pdf, 2018), has been given a mixed reception by advocates and leaders of Catholic education in England and Wales. The reasons why such a significant education provider might take a hesitant stance to the findings of the Commission on Religious Education is deeply intriguing and stands in need of careful scrutiny. After presenting a brief summary of both the importance and content of the Final Report, a summary of the Catholic response to it will be presented. Then this paper will offer an analysis and some likely explanations for the form and content of this response. Finally, it will be argued that on theological and ethical grounds a far more positive and detailed response could have been offered to the Final Report in order to help bring about the much needed recommendations that the Commission on Religious Education called for. Keywords CES (Catholic Education Service of England and Wales) · Religious education · Religious education in Catholic schools · Commission on religious education
1 Introduction The Commission on Religious Education’s Final Report, Religion and Worldviews: The Way Forward, a national plan for RE (CORE 2018) has been given a mixed reception by advocates and leaders of Catholic education in England and Wales. The official response is seriously lacking in detail. Surprisingly, Catholic schools account for a hefty ten percent of all schools in England and Wales. In these schools Religious Education is regarded as a central subject. In fact it is not uncommon for ten percent of curriculum time in English Catholic schools to be given over to classroom Religious Education, which often equates to up to three hours per week for every student. In order to deliver this level of Religious Education provision it means that well over twenty-five percent of all RE teachers in England and Wales, both primary and secondary, are to be found working in Catholic schools. Thus the reasons why such * Sean Whittle [email protected] 1
CRDCE, St Marys University Twickenham, London, England
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a significant education provider, which includes such a large proportion of Religious Educators, might take a mixed stance to the findings of the Commission on Religious Education is deeply intriguing and stands in need of careful scrutiny. This article will offer an analysis and some likely explanations for this response.
2 The importance of the Commission on Religious Education It is important to appreciate the significance of the Final Report from the Comission on Religious Education (CoRE). The Commission met for two
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