Organisations including the Bank of England and the Peter Jones Foundation sign call to improve the teaching of religious education in schools

Over thirty employers and business leaders from sectors including finance, higher education, and hospitality have signed a Call to Action asking the government and schools to improve the teaching of religious education.

The campaign is led by Lord Bilimoria, former vice president of the Confederation of Business and Industry and Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, who issued an open letter addressing the importance of high quality religious education in schools for an inclusive, global facing workplace.

“Over the last decade the subject has evolved to provide a much-needed place in the classroom for young people to engage with the complexity of modern belief,” he wrote in the letter, adding that it can help students “avoid misconceptions”, and “leave school ready to work with people around the world from all walks of life”.

He went on to describe RE teachers as “some of the most passionate in the country”, but stated that he was concerned about the lack of funding and proper support for RE teachers.

As part of the campaign, Young Ambassadors for Religious Education have submitted videos explaining how the subject helps prepare them for the workplace.

Aiyra, a Year 9 student from Okehampton College, said, “…RE is important in an ever-growing and changing environment. It plays a massive role in people’s lives, concerning understanding each other, cultures different from our own, and beliefs we aren’t exposed to on a regular basis. I think it’s a good preparation for any career…”

There is a statutory requirement for all schools to teach religious education up to year 13. However, a 2022 study of schools’ data by NATRE (The National Association of Teachers of RE) found that up to 500 secondary schools in the country were not fulfilling their obligation to teach RE.

This month, the Religious Education Council of England and Wales launched a toolkit of resources aimed at helping schools improve the provision of the subject across the country.

Deborah Weston, Chair of the RE Policy Unit, said: “It’s really encouraging to see major employers recognise the value of high-quality Religious Education. It’s clear there is a real desire to provide young people with an academic and personally enriching education in religious and non-religious worldviews that will help young people take their place in society and the world of work.”

REady for Work campaign – ReThinkRE