ABSTRACT
Religious education (RE) appears destined to occupy an anomalous position within the English education system. In 1944 it was the only nationally prescribed subject in the curriculum when the Education Act stated that all registered pupils were to receive RE. The fact that no thoughts of including religions other than Christianity crossed the minds of the legislators of the Act at that time should not detract from our appreciation of the effort necessary to achieve cooperation between different groups within Christianity. The price of securing agreement was that decisions as to what should be taught were to be made locally by an Agreed Syllabus Conference consisting of representatives from the Christian denominations, the local education authority and teachers. Provision for RE in the locality could be monitored by a Standing Advisory Council for RE (SACRE), if one was constituted. Also, parents who could not agree to the principle of locally agreed RE had the right to withdraw their children from RE lessons. Teachers were also given the right to withdraw from teaching RE.
