I am a third year Religious Studies student. For one of my essays I have to discuss the
effectiveness of how RE is taught in schools today as well as looking at where local governments as well as teachers are wanting
to see the subject go in the next few years. I am planning to interview one RE co-ordinator for my LA.
Could anyone please give me their views on the effectiveness of RE in schools today - looking at topics such as enthusiasm for the subject, some of the big challenges facing it etc..
A:
From Professor Terence Copley:
The crucial word to define in the first part of your essay is effectiveness.
Does it mean effective in getting good exam grades? Or in producing more spiritual students!? Or working through the agreed syllabus thoroughly? Or promoting thinking skills? Or making students more enthusiastic about RE?
Or... or... or...
Read the literature on effectiveness and then apply it to RE!
The second part of your question is less clear. Do you mean local councils by 'local governments'? I'm not sure councils have views, except when they have to approve a draft agreed syllabus - or not.
Where do people want to see the subject go? There will be tension between those who want to see a national syllabus and those who want to stay local, between those who want to develop the National Framework and those who want to see a radical alternative replacing it and between those who want to see a more issues-based RE curriculum and those who want to follow the now rather tired thematic approach or the less tired discrete religions approach.
