Displaying items by tag: religious studies

The number of students choosing Religious Studies in A-level has fallen, following warnings of a lack of teachers. More than a quarter of pupils have been given either an A or A* - down by 9% compared with 2022. The fall follows a campaign to recruit a new generation of RE teachers, with the Religious Education Council warning that due to shortages in specialist teachers some schools in the Midlands and northeast are struggling to offer the A-level subject. For two decades, A-level RS has had growing numbers of entries and impressive results, opening a world of opportunity, particularly for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, providing access to top universities and careers in law, journalism and teaching. That legacy is now threatened. A teacher training bursary scheme and a fair allocation of resources to the subject would help to reverse this trend.

A new campaign has been launched to encourage more people to become religious studies (RS) teachers as the number of people applying to teach RS is down by a third compared to last year. Now, parliamentarians have joined religious groups in their plea for more applicants. The new campaign, ‘Beyond the Ordinary,’ aims to draw attention to the positives of the role. In the last decade, the Department for Education has missed their annual recruitment targets for the subject nine times. Yet despite concerns about the number of teaching staff, the subject is growing in popularity. Around 30% more students are taking the subject at GCSE level, compared to a decade ago. Politicians are united in the belief that religious education is fundamental to ‘life in modern Britain,’ yet the figures are ‘deeply worrying’ and young people are ‘missing out’.

The number of Religious Studies A Level exam entries has increased 6.1 percent this year. The subject outperformed other A-level subjects as a whole, with a greater increase than most other humanities subjects. This suggests that candidates are recognising the value of RS for higher education entry and graduate employment, and as an essential life skill. Professor Trevor Cooling said, ‘Religious Studies has maintained its popularity over the past two decades at A Level, where students have a greater say in their subject choice, compared with GCSE when RS may not be offered as an examination course. Young people clearly value the importance of extending their knowledge and understanding of religious and non-religious worldviews at A-level and continue to vote with their feet.’ He urges the Government to ensure it is resourced properly and taught by professionally trained teachers.