Letter: Religious education shapes Britain

Sir: John Patten's claim that 'it is not for the Secretary of State to be involved in the detail of RE syllabuses' is challengeable.

The widely representative conferences convened by the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority (SCAA) to draw up model syllabuses in RE recommended that the aims of RE should include knowledge and understanding of Christianity, other religions 'and ethical traditions and philosophies'. This recommendation was carried through by the working parties until a late stage and was supported by national bodies, including the RE Council, the National Association of the locally based Standing Advisory Conferences and teacher associations.

However, this widely supported recommendation has been deleted by the SCAA in the published version. On whose intervention? Is Mr Patten saying that he had no part in it?

Yours sincerely,

DAVID BOTHWELL

Chairman

Education Committee

British Humanist Association

London, WC1