I was a teacher of religious education (RE) for almost 20 years in schools in Luton, Leighton Buzzard, and Milton Keynes.
I entered the teaching profession after 9/11 because I believed in the power of education in countering hate and building bridges.
As a British Muslim female educator who used to wear a hijab, I know first-hand the role that RE plays in combatting intolerance, promoting equality, and tackling misinformation.
Religious education is a powerful tool that can develop an understanding of equality through a religions and worldviews curriculum, including the study of the philosophy of religion and religious ethics.
It provides the building blocks of the knowledge and skills young people need to counter the violence and hate that contributes to the spread of extremist views, including anti-immigration, Islamophobia, anti-semitism, homophobia, and misogyny.
Belonging, meaning, purpose, truth
One thing I love about RE is that it opens the door for children and young people to understand themselves as well as others, and the world in all its rich pluralist and diverse nature.
My children, who are 18 and 15, were brought up “loosely” as Muslim but are free to choose their own paths. Every now and then they will ask me challenging questions about faith and religion. It is what teenagers do – they ask genuine questions about their own beliefs and the diversity which exists within communities.
The natural place for these conversations is in the RE classroom. Here, young people are given space to investigate what enables different individuals and communities to live together respectfully, to navigate their way round difficult questions, and to understand how to interpret sources of wisdom.
The joy of these discussions is that young people don’t have to accept simplistic solutions to difficult questions about faith and understanding world religion. They are able to learn how to explain their ideas about how beliefs, practices, and forms of expression influence individuals, communities, and themselves.
Developing empathy and understanding on complex issues
Empathy and understanding are qualities we want to instil in our young people to help them become good citizens, and this is something which can be explored and developed through RE.
RE helps young people to personally reflect and engage with critical responses to questions and teachings about identity and diversity. For example, teaching young people about sexual ethics (which is a key component in RE) can play a crucial role in countering homophobia by exposing students to diverse perspectives and ethical frameworks, both religious and secular.
Understanding the complexity of sexual ethics allows students to critically engage with issues of sexuality in a way that promotes tolerance and empathy.
Introducing students to ethical theories such as Utilitarianism, Kantian Ethics, Virtue Ethics, and Situation Ethics gives young people the tools to be able to challenge themselves and others to have sensible conversations while remaining respectful and reducing prejudice, encouraging them to recognise the inherent dignity of all people, regardless of sexual orientation.
Reinforcing school values
In my experience, a well-planned RE curriculum delivered by a team of dedicated teachers who care about the subject can transform the school community and create a strong foundation against waves of hate or unpredictable events.
The summer riots – during which many mosques were attacked – exposed the importance of understanding different faith communities. There is no better way to guard young people from Islamophobia, anti-semitism or any type of hatred than improving religious literacy in the community.
Not only does this benefit students, particularly those who are at risk of being marginalised, but it is also good for the school community and society at large.
By teaching and offering RE, school leaders reaffirm their school values of equality by communicating that they respect and encourage the understanding of religious and non-religious worldviews. This goes a long way towards eliminating feelings of vulnerability in communities who may feel under attack.
Shaping future leaders
For young people who may not have the opportunity to discuss different worldviews at home, the RE classroom plays a vital role in providing space to encourage spiritual development and critical thinking.
Young people can develop a better understanding of the social world and enjoy intellectual challenges that empower them to participate in conversations about themselves and their future. If there was ever a time for training our future leaders to demonstrate strong religious literacy, it is now.
After the summer riots, the need to improve religious literacy has become even more critical in fostering greater understanding in schools, especially in towns and cities where it is most under threat.
If we want to prepare young people for meaningful discussions around religion and beliefs, then we need to “liberate” them from their own environment and allow them to think beyond their life experience and support the development of the whole person, not just the intellect.
As Aristotle famously said: “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”
What next?
For schools who would like to take meaningful steps towards improving outcomes for their disadvantaged pupils and supporting their students to become part of a fully functioning democratic society that treats all people as equals, I would advise they start with a review of their religious studies offer for key stages 4 and 5.
A recent report from the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education is a helpful resource for this (2022). As a former NATRE executive I can highly recommend this wonderful network of RE teachers who can support any school wanting to improve their provision for RE.
- Shammi Rahman is a race equality adviser with HFL Education. Formerly Herts for Learning, HFL Education is a not-for-profit organisation providing services, training and resources for schools, including access to advisers and subject experts. Follow at @HFL_Education. This year SecEd is working with HFL Education to publish a series of subject-specific best practice articles. Find all the articles in this series via www.sec-ed.co.uk/authors/hfl-education
Further information & resources
- Culham St Gabriel's: www.cstg.org.uk
- NATRE: www.natre.org.uk
- NATRE : Research suggests Religious Studies at GCSE and A level supports ‘levelling up’, 2022 : https://www.natre.org.uk/uploads/NATRE%20News/Summary%20of%20research%20-%20disadvantage%20data%202022.pdf
- Ofsted: Research and analysis: Research review series: religious education, 2021: www.gov.uk/government/publications/research-review-series-religious-education
- Ofsted: Research and analysis: Deep and meaningful? The religious education subject report, 2024: www.gov.uk/government/publications/subject-report-series-religious-education/deep-and-meaningful-the-religious-education-subject-report
- Religious Education Council: www.religiouseducationcouncil.org.uk
- RE:ONLINE: www.reonline.org.uk