Churches call for RE to be part of ‘E-Bac’

CHURCH leaders from Yorkshire have written to local MPs urging them sign an early day motion calling for religious education to be included in the Government’s English Baccalaureate performance measure for GCSEs.

The coalition introduced the “E-Bac” in this year’s school league tables even though it did not exist when the GCSEs were being sat last summer.

The qualification is awarded to students who achieve at least six A* to C grades at GCSE in subjects which include English, maths, two sciences, a language and either history or geography.

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Now religious leaders and MPs are calling for the E-Bac to include religious education (RE) as one of its subjects.

The West Yorkshire Ecumenical Council has written to all MPs in the county urging them to sign a motion that “notes with concern that the list of approved subjects does not include RE.”

Ten MPs from around the region: six Labour, three Conservative and one Liberal Democrat have signed the motion so far.

The letter being sent to West Yorkshire MPs says: “RE can provide the tools necessary to understand all the major faiths, the diversity of our society, and the complex issues involved in integration and building harmonious communities.

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“Furthermore, RE is essential for understanding the historical and literary basis of this country, and for the underlying ethical code upon which our society is based.”

The early day motion calling for RE to be included in the E-Bac says that the rise of religious extremists around the world means that a good understanding of all faiths was “vital to a well rounded education.”

Earlier this year a Yorkshire headteacher launched a campaign calling for the E-Bac to be replaced by a “broader and better qualification”.

Andrew Chubb, principal of the Archbishop Sentamu Academy in Hull, has warned that the new measure will divide the country’s schools into focusing on either academic or vocational subjects.

The absence of RE was also among the concerns he raised.