RELIGIOUS education is to be included in the next tranche of
subjects in the Government's examination-reform programme. It
is expected that the first new-look GCSE in Religious Studies will
be taken in 2016. The development was confirmed this week at a
meeting between officials from the Department for Education (DfE)
and representatives of the RE Council.
The move, which RE leaders had hoped for, will bring Religious
Studies in line with reforms already begun in the core curriculum
subjects. The chairman of the RE Council, John Keast, said that it
would be working closely with the DfE on the changes, and would
consult with faith leaders.
It is not yet clear whether the short course in RE, which leads
to a half-GCSE, would be retained under the new examinations
regime. The short course has proved popular with pupils since its
introduction more than a decade ago, accounting for about 250,000
of the 400,000 GCSE entrants in Religious Studies each year. Last
year, a slight rise in entrants for the full course was countered
by a small drop in numbers taking the short course.
"This year's numbers will be a clear indication of the trend,"
Mr Keast said.