RE and the EBacc

The Catholic Education Service for England and Wales (CESEW) have written to all schools in England and Wales following concerns raised through local dioceses regarding the omission of Religious Studies (RE) from the English Baccalaureate.   The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) was introduced in 2010 and is awarded to all students who achieve GCSEs at grades A*-C in English, Mathematics, Science, a Humanities subject and a Modern Foreign Language.  However, the list of recognised Humanities subjects does not currently include Religious Education.  In RE pupils have the opportunity to engage not only with the most profound metaphysical questions concerning human existence and the nature of reality, but also with the most pressing ethical problems of our day.  RE itself is a broad based humanity, demanding knowledge and skills in history, textual criticism, anthropology, ethics, philosophy and theology.  Thus it seems aptly suited to being part of any qualification which seeks to ensure that our pupils receive a genuinely broad education.

Headteachers have been asked to encourage staff, parents, governors and other members of the
school community to write to their MP asking him or her to sign Early Day Motion 1375 which
supports the inclusion of RE in the EBacc.

Please click here, for guidance and a model letter sent by the CESEW.