Religious Education: Expectations

1. Religious education is the core of the core curriculum and is to be the source and summit of
the whole curriculum.
2. Religious education is an academic discipline with the same systematic demands and rigour
as other disciplines.
3. Religious education is to be delivered within a broad and balanced curriculum, where it
informs every aspect of the curriculum. Every other subject is to be informed by religious
education and have a strong relationship with it.
4. In each year of compulsory schooling, religious education is to be taught for at least 10%
curriculum time within each repeating cycle of the regular school timetable.
5. In each year of sixth form schooling, religious education is to be taught for at least 5%
curriculum time within each repeating cycle of the regular school timetable.

Compliance with the Religious Education Directory

1. The Religious Education Directory includes the programmes of study approved by the Bishops’
Conference for the various age groups.
2. Catholic schools are required to comply with the Religious Education Directory.

Implications of the primacy of religious education in the curriculum

1. Religious education is to be properly organised, coordinated, taught, and resourced.
2. In primary schools there is to be a Coordinator of Religious Education who is to have at least
parity in status and remuneration with those of any other curriculum area.
3. The religious education department in secondary schools is to have at least parity of status
and resourcing with any other subject department. The department is to be given the highest
possible status. This is to be reflected in the status and remuneration of the person leading
that department.

Religious Education, alongside the National Curriculum, forms the Basic Curriculum in all schools (Education Act 2002). Whereas the content of National Curriculum subjects is determined by the Department for Education, curriculum content of Religious Education in Catholic schools is determined by the Catholic bishops (School Standards and Framework Act 1998).