Agenda item

To receive a presentation on the report published July 2014.

            That the report be noted.                                         

                        Prior to the introduction of the report by the Challenge Advisor, Councillor Colin Legg expressed his disappointment at the inclusion of the item on the agenda as he felt that the report did not include any reference to religious points of view for any faith.  The Chair responded that the Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship (ESDGC) report could be used as a tool for the promotion of Religious Education in other areas. 

                        The Challenge Advisor provided a detailed presentation of the report which gave information on the progress made in schools for sustainable development and global citizenship since 2006 when Estyn published a baseline report on ‘Establishing a position statement for Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship in Wales.  He added that in his experience, Religious Education did have an impact on ESDGC in schools.  The seven themes, which included identity and culture, were shown in the introduction to the report.

                        The Chair felt that ESDGC were within the remit for exploration of identity in Wales and added that a strand of the Welsh baccalaureate included a module on the history of Wales.  He said that it was important to ensure that there was guidance and understanding about how the strand could be developed through Religious Education. 

                        The Challenge Advisor felt that the document did contain elements of Religious Education and highlighted the section on the background to the document which included a comment about evaluating values, which he said also formed part of the Religious Education agreed syllabus.  He also spoke on the comment that ESDGC should promote ensuring diversity and biodiversity to enhance local, national and international communities.  The Challenge Advisor highlighted sections on ‘Pupils’ understanding of sustainable development and global citizenship’, ‘Wealth and Poverty’ and ‘Identity and Culture’. 

                        The Chair asked whether there was the opportunity for Religious Education teachers to meet to discuss subject delivery and the agreed syllabus.  The Challenge Advisor said that this took place in secondary schools and Yvonne Barker confirmed that schools in the consortia did meet; she would put forward the issue for discussion at one of their future meetings. 

                        In recognising what had been said by the Challenge Advisor, Rita Price raised concern about the report as she felt that it could result in issues which did not have a place being added on to Religious Education which would then take teaching away from the educating pupils on religion.  She felt that it was important that SACRE defended the subject of Religious Education and that it played an essential part in teaching of pupils.

                        The Challenge Advisor said that there were a number of subject areasthat did not have a subject in their own right but he did not feel that ESDGC would replace Religious Education in schools.  He commented on the work undertaken on Choices and decisions and in highlighting paragraph 58 on vision and policy, he said that he felt that the report could encourage schools to write their own policies which could be more effective than policies which were forced upon them; he spoke of the resources which were available.  Paragraph 66 reported that almost all schools used specific curricular areas such as religious education for delivering aspects of ESDGC and many also used ESDGC as a catalyst to deliver other subjects or topics; the Challenge Advisor felt that this would continue to happen.  He expressed his disappointment at the schools visited as he felt that it was not a fair sample of schools across the whole of Wales.  Delyth McIntyre spoke of the diversity in Deeside and Wrexham and raised concern at the significant emphasis on visiting schools in rural areas. 

                        Gareth W. Jones felt that the report emphasised how Religious Education contributed to other subjects and increased the value of Religious Education.  He also highlighted the section in the report on identify and culture.  The Chair said that teachers must be aware of the onus of responsibility to implement the education of Religious Education and develop it.   

                        Councillor Legg said that it was important that school children were encouraged to have beliefs and understand other religions to make them good global citizens.  

                        The Challenge Advisor spoke of work across class areas and Rita Price, in welcoming the views, commented on the potential of selecting some of the points in the report to promote the teaching of Religious Education and on the demands of schools on Religious Education at cross curricular areas. 

            RESOLVED:

            That the report be noted.