The place of Religious Education in the curriculum

This chapter begins with an overview of a range of factors influencing the place of Religious Education (RE) in the curriculum. It then explores some controversial aspects of RE’s development, exemplified by the fact that the subject is both compulsory but optional and local but national. School collective worship is mentioned, but only as part of RE’s history. The ownership of RE, the subject’s aims and its relationship with religion(s) are also discussed. The concluding section considers present and future possibilities for RE with the introduction of the new Non-Statutory National Framework for RE (QCA 2004).