Religious education is more relevant than ever

SIR – Your report (September 18) highlights a survey which found that 25 per cent of schools are not teaching religious education, while in many others it is being taught inadequately.

After a weekend in which the suspected perpetrator of a terrorist attack was discovered to be 18 years old, while some of those involved in hate crimes against synagogues, churches and mosques have been even younger, the response from the Department for Education that some schools may be using assemblies or conferences for the purposes of religious education is totally inadequate.

One-off, multi-faith events are no substitute for teaching and debate about the realities of religious faith, including other beliefs such as humanism and atheism. Students in our own network of schools or further education colleges, especially those from the 16-19 age group, have reported that it was through RE that “we were able to tackle the big questions, of God, morality, life and death”; that “finally, I was able to hear the real beliefs of my own church, and other faiths”, and that “for the first time I felt able to challenge the views I was hearing among my small group of friends and on social media”.

The Department for Education needs to go beyond talking about statutory duties, and fund good RE teaching and learning in all schools and colleges.

Rabbi Larry Becker

Alan Murray

Raheed Salam

All Faiths and None

London N5