THE number of students taking Religious Studies (RS) at A level has decreased by 3.5 per cent in England, and by 24 per cent in Wales, despite an overall increase in the total number of A-level entries across England and Wales.
The Religious Education Council of England and Wales reported on Thursday that 14,690 students took an RS A level in England this year, compared with 15,216 last year. In Wales, entries were recorded at 748 this year, compared with 982 last year.
The chair of the Council, Sarah Lane Cawte, said on Thursday that the decline showed “the really concerning impact that teacher retention and recruitment is having on the subject”.
Ms Cawte said that RS had previously been a “success story”, citing “growing numbers of entries and impressive results that have opened up a world of opportunity, particularly for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, providing them with access to top universities and careers in law, journalism, and teaching”.
Between 2003 and 2022, RS had been one of the fastest-growing A-level courses, with a 39-per-cent rise in student numbers across those years, including a 6.1 per-cent-increase in 2021.
The more recent drop in numbers, however, coincides with concerns about the training and retention of specialist RS teachers, and the launch of initiatives that aim to reverse the decline (News, 3 May).
In May, the Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, called for better provision and resourcing, emphasising the importance of RS as a “safe space” for discussing “important and exciting philosophical, religious, and moral conundrums” (News, 3 May).
Last year, a report by the Religious Education Council, the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE), and RE Today Services, concluded that the decline was caused by years of government underfunding (News, 18 May 2022).
Responding to the publication of the latest statistics, the chair of NATRE, Katie Freeman, said: “Despite this dip in entries, RS continues to be a very popular choice at A level, being both personally enriching and intellectually challenging. RS A-level teachers are highly trained professionals, managing classroom debates on sensitive ethical and theological issues that continue to inform the modern world.
“To be in a situation where students are not able to take Religious Studies at an advanced level is a real travesty, denying many young people an opportunity to partake in a subject that has opened up a world of opportunities in higher education, their personal lives and the world of work.”
On Thought for the Day on Radio 4 on Thursday morning, the Rector of Digswell, in St Albans diocese, Canon Rob Marshall, said: “It’s been a rollercoaster ride for this cohort of teenagers, who have had a more difficult time than previous years to get the highest grades.”
He cited statistics, released this week by the charity YoungMinds, which show a record number of under-18s being referred to mental-health services.
The Archbishop of York was among those who posted good-luck messages on social media, saying: “Today I am praying for and remembering all those receiving their exam results.”