Religious Education: Syllabuses (Hansard, 13 February 1992)

§ Baroness Denton of Wakefield
My Lords, Section 8(3) of the Education Reform Act introduced new requirements for those locally agreed syllabuses for religious education adopted after September 1988. All such new syllabuses must, reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian whilst taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain". The Act does not require local education authorities to review their existing syllabuses to take account of the new requirements. However, we are aware that over one-third of local authorities have chosen to do so.

§ Lord Orr-Ewing
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that the syllabuses of Oldham, Newham and Bolton are manifestly less acceptable than that of Ealing, which has already been rejected by the Government and is now being revised? What steps will the Government take to disqualify the above three?

§ Baroness Denton of Wakefield
My Lords, complaints in regard to religious education must first go to the local level. The Government have received only two formal complaints about religious education in schools following a failure to reach agreement at the local education authority level. The Secretary of State has also received a few letters on an informal basis which pay keen attention to the matter.

§ The Earl of Lauderdale
My Lords, can my noble friend say what steps are being taken to make Christian parents of Christian children aware of the means of complaint and the remedies at their hands if the requirements of the Act are not properly observed?

§ Baroness Denton of Wakefield
My Lords, a Bill is presently going through the House which extends the information available to parents of what their expectations from the education system may be. That will improve their knowledge enormously.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, can the noble Baroness say whether the Government acknowledge that many of these so-called other religions are the result of the 834 creation of the British Empire? In other words, when the British Empire was created. we did not interfere with those religions. The people of other religions would probably not have been here if there had not been the creation of a British Empire. I believe that to be a fair and reasonable question to ask the Government. Further, how does one disqualify a religion?

§ Baroness Denton of Wakefield
My Lords, it is probably early days for me to be speechless. I shall try and answer. The noble Lord draws attention to an illustrious past, but perhaps I can quote from today's Radio Four programme "Thought for the Day" when a Sikh said that previously a knowledge of other faiths was desirable; today it is essential.

§ Lord Hailsham of Saint Marylebone
My Lords, can my noble friend confirm my surprise that Mohammed, Buddha and Abraham were creations of the British Empire? Will she also say whether, in her view, the Ten Commandments reflect mainly Christian traditions?

§ Baroness Denton of Wakefield
My Lords, my noble and learned friend brings additional dimensions to the discussion. It would be extremely foolish of me to disagree with him.

§ Baroness Blackstone
My Lords, I shall not ask questions about our illustrious past nor indeed about the Ten Commandments. I should like a simple factual answer to a question about the present. How many complaints has the Secretary of State received in regard to Section 8(3) of the Education Reform Act? How is he dealing with those complaints? Are any of the complainants pursuing the matter in the courts?

§ Baroness Denton of Wakefield
My Lords, as in my original Answer, I confirm that the Secretary of State has received only two formal complaints. One covers the area of Ealing, to which my noble friend referred. That is now back for revision. Informal complaints have been made; but, so far as I am aware, there are no legal actions underway.

§ Lord Ashbourne
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that the North Tyneside syllabus produced in 1990 is the first to use the attainment target approach of the national curriculum and devotes a whole attainment target to Christianity, giving the Bible a pre-eminent position? Do the Government agree that that syllabus represents a shining example to other authorities?

§ Baroness Denton of Wakefield
My Lords, my noble friend gives good evidence in support of the Government's view that this is very much a matter for local authorities and local areas.
Lord Airedale: My Lords, do the Government accept that the importance of teaching the Christian traditions to non-Christian pupils is that it enables them to appreciate and understand Western art, which draws its inspirations so very largely from the Christian traditions?

§ Baroness Denton of Wakefield
My Lords, the Government agree that the more people understand the histories of every nation, the better the future of nations will be.

The Earl of Halsbury
My Lords, last week the most reverend Primate helped to defeat the Government on an amendment to bring the further education Bill into line with the 1988 Act. On the assumption that the Government accept that amendment in the other place, what further steps will they consider to put a limit on procrastination, assuming that the LEAs are just as reluctant to implement the most reverend Primate's amendment as they are concerning the 1988 Act?

§ Baroness Denton of Wakefield
My Lords, in reply to the assumption that the noble Earl raises, I believe that it will be a matter for business in the other place.

§ Lord Elton
My Lords, can my noble friend tell me this? If I write a letter to her right honourable friend the Secretary of State, with a copy of the Oldham agreed syllabus, drawing attention to the fact that it falls far outside the prescriptions of his department's letter of 18th March which sets out what he would accept as being within the terms of the Act, have I or have I not made a formal complaint? In other words, is it necessary to do more or will this matter now be treated as a formal complaint?

§ Baroness Denton of Wakefield
No, my Lords. The law requires that the formal complaint goes first through the local system.

§ The Earl of Lauderdale
My Lords, can my noble friend say whether the local authorities who are in trouble over this Act are complaining that there is a lack of Christian teachers? If that is so, will my noble friend draw their attention to the fact that the local clergy of various denominations will be very glad to step in to help if there is a shortage?

§ Baroness Denton of Wakefield
My Lords, I am pleased to assure my noble friend that there is no evidence of a specific lack of teachers of religion although I hear his suggestion for alternative action. I also draw attention to the fact that the recent announcement of the pay reviews for teachers should help very much in any small shortages that there are.

The Lord Bishop of St. Albans
My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that in many parts of the country the Churches are very grateful for the impetus for religious education which has been given by the Education Reform Act? Although they are anxious that there should be more qualified RE teachers, is the Minister also aware that they are nevertheless grateful, as in my diocese, for the number of occasions when the local Churches are being called on by schools for assistance in order to implement the measure?

§ Baroness Denton of Wakefield
My Lords, I thank the right reverend Prelate for those remarks. In return, I also acknowledge the great contribution that the Church makes to the working of the advisory committees in this area.