British Court Rules That "Non-Religious Worldviews" Must be Included in Schools

Started by Recusant, November 25, 2015, 07:40:49 PM

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Recusant

It sounds like a reasonable decision to me.  :)

"Judge rules Government broke the law in excluding Humanism from school curriculum" | British Humanist Association

QuoteIn a landmark judgment handed down in the High Court today, a judge has ruled in favour of the three humanist parents and their children who challenged the Government's relegation of non-religious worldviews in the latest subject content for GCSE Religious Studies. In his decision, Mr Justice Warby stated that the Government had made an 'error of law' in leaving non-religious worldviews such as humanism out of the GCSE, amounting to 'a breach of the duty to take care that information or knowledge included in the curriculum is conveyed in a pluralistic manner.' The British Humanist Association (BHA), which was responsible for bringing the case and has supported the three families throughout, has welcomed the landmark decision.

While the Government will not be immediately compelled to change the GSCE, religious education syllabuses around the country will now have to include non-religious worldviews such as humanism on an equal footing, and pupils taking a GCSE will also have to learn about non-religious worldviews alongside the course.

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"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Essie Mae

A good decision. Pupils need to see that having a religion does not make you morally superior in an way. (In fact, sometimes inducing a belief that other believers and 'nones' are worthless). Discovering that non-believers of all types are not only as law-abiding as everyone else, and even altruistic and self-sacrificing, will be a much needed revelation.
Hell is empty and all the devils are here. Wm Shakespeare


Recusant

Quote from: Essie Mae on December 01, 2015, 08:47:05 AM
A good decision. Pupils need to see that having a religion does not make you morally superior in an way. (In fact, sometimes inducing a belief that other believers and 'nones' are worthless). Discovering that non-believers of all types are not only as law-abiding as everyone else, and even altruistic and self-sacrificing, will be a much needed revelation.

Yes. As long as it's the law of the UK that students in all schools must receive "religious education," that education ideally should not result in facilitating prejudice. Ignoring non-religious positions such as humanism and atheism leaves the student ignorant of them, which while not inculcating prejudice, can be fertile ground for it.
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken



Recusant

Thanks for that, Crow. The empire strikes back.

"Schools must teach children that Britain is a Christian country: Nicky Morgan, the Education Secretary, says that there is 'no obligation' for schools to teach atheism as part of the religious studies GCSE" | The Telegraph

QuoteSchools must teach pupils that Britain is a Christian country and are entitled to prioritise the views of established religions over atheism, the Education Secretary has said.

Nicky Morgan, the Education Secretary, today publishes new guidance to non-faith schools which makes clear that they do not need to give "equal parity" to non-religious views.

It comes after humanists won a landmark High Court victory which found that the Education Secretary had unlawfully excluded atheism from the school curriculum.

Mrs Morgan is concerned that humanists are using the courts as part of a "creeping ratchet effect" which will ultimately see primary schools forced to teach children about atheism.

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The guidance note itself, which can be found on the gov.uk site: "Guidance for schools and awarding organisations about the Religious Studies GCSE" | Department for Education (PDF)

Some of the pertinent guidelines:

Quote•Schools and Agreed Syllabus Conferences (ASCs) should be free to determine their own
approach to the teaching of RE and the selection of the appropriate RS GCSE.

• There is no requirement for an individual school's curriculum to mirror the make-up of the
national or local population, curriculums should continue to be locally determined.

• Schools and ASCs are at liberty to use a range of relevant factors to determine their RE
curriculum, including the intellectual rigour it presents and its role in supporting pupils'
development as world citizens.

• There is no obligation for any school or ASC to give equal air time to the teaching of
religious and non-religious views.

• Curriculum balance (and, therefore, compliance with statutory requirements) can be
achieved across the key stages. There is no obligation on any school to cover the teaching
of non-religious world views (or any other particular aspect of the RE curriculum) in key
stage 4 specifically. Rather it is for schools and ASCs to determine how they meet their
wider obligations across the key stages.
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Claireliontamer


OldGit