Government says it ‘needs to address’ including humanism in RE

Equal respect of humanism to the major world religions is ‘fundamental’ in Religious Education and the 2015 High Court Fox judgment, which ruled that non-religious worldviews such as humanism should be treated with equal respect to major world religions in the subject, ‘needs to be addressed’. This was the response of UK Government minister Baroness Blake of Leeds to a question by All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group Vice Chair Baroness Lorely Burt. 

Humanists UK, which campaigns for a reformed RE that is inclusive of humanism, has welcomed this acknowledgement and said it hopes to see the Government act on it for England as soon as possible.

Speaking during an Oral Question on the need for a reformed RE to promote mutual understanding, which was brought by Labour peer Lord Rook of Wimbledon, Baroness Burt asked:

‘My Lords, the 2015 High Court Fox judgment made clear that non-religious worldviews such as humanism must be treated on an equal footing with major world religions in Religious Education. What steps will the Government take to ensure that this principle is embedded in any future national curriculum?’

In response, the minister said:

‘It is absolutely fundamental that we have the full spectrum of views right across and they have equal respect within the curriculum. I look forward to taking these issues forward. They have been part of the many discussions we’ve had recently, not least in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, and she raises important points that need to be addressed.’

High-quality RE important to promoting community cohesion

Lord Rook’s question focused on the importance of high-quality RE in fostering community relations. He referred to his children’s religious education at their community school which he said:

‘[…] enhanced the community cohesion in a very diverse setting and most importantly, equipped pupils for the world they now live in.’

However, Lord Rook also highlighted the concerns of Ofsted around the quality of RE provision in schools:

‘Currently 95% of teachers say that high-quality religious education is more important than ever, and yet Ofsted reports that in far too many schools the delivery of RE is either poor quality or not fit for purpose. At a time when our country and communities need far greater social cohesion, will His Majesty’s Government ensure that Religious Education is properly prioritised in the new national curriculum so that our young people can continue to build and flourish in our multi-religious and multi-ethnic world?’

In 2024 Ofsted’s subject deep-dive into RE, Deep and Meaningful, found that the RE curriculum often lacked ‘sufficient substance to prepare pupils to live in a complex world’. It also reported that there was a ‘profound misconception among some leaders and teachers that ‘teaching from a neutral stance’ equates to teaching a non-religious worldview’. Humanists UK supports adding RE to the national curriculum as a way that would help address these problems, by improving standards and also consistency between different parts of the country. This is important because so many children don’t go to school in one place over the whole of their education, nor do they live in that place as adults. The level of inclusivity also varies hugely from local syllabus to local syllabus.

Replying to Lord Rook, the minister said that the Government ‘notes the findings of the Ofsted subject report and is committed to ensuring high quality of provision of Religious Education’. The minister also welcomed the work of the Religious Education Council, of which Humanists UK is a member, for its work on developing a national content standard for RE.

Speaking after the question, Humanists UK’s Education Campaigns Manager Lewis Young said:

‘It’s been a decade since the Fox judgment was made and yet the teaching of humanism remains inconsistent. We very much welcome the Government’s acknowledgement that this ruling needs addressing as part of any reform to Religious Education, and we thank Lord Rook and Baroness Burt for their questions.

‘Every young person deserves to be taught a broad and balanced RE that is inclusive of humanism. This is not only good for developing critical thinking skills, but a vital part of promoting community cohesion – an issue that is more important than ever. It is only with Government action, and with the subject being brought into the national curriculum, that RE will become fit for purpose for modern life. We hope Ministers will act on their acknowledgement as soon as possible.’