CYP Now - Religious education

Many schools across the UK contain pupils from a variety of religions. Sue Learner investigates what legislation is in place across the four nations to ensure religious education and, where appropriate, worship are addressed.

ENGLAND

All maintained schools must provide daily collective and mainly Christian worship for their pupils under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.

However, if the majority of pupils at the school are of a different faith, then the head teacher can apply to the local Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education to change it to observe that faith. There is a legal requirement for all schools to teach religious education (RE) to pupils. However, parents have the right to withdraw their children from all or part of RE, and do not have to give a reason why.

The first non-statutory national framework for teaching RE was launched in October 2004.

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