Christians still hoping for a Government re-think on RE

The organisers of a major RE campaign are hoping that new rules on the submission of petition will lead to a debate on the subject’s exclusion from the English Baccalaureate.

A petition by the RE:ACT campaign, spearheaded by Premier Christian Media, attracted 140,000 signatures backing its call for the inclusion of RE in the EBac and a House of Commons debate on the issue.

There was disappointment last week when the Government confirmed that RE was not on the EBac, but hopes of a debate have been rekindled after leader of the House of Commons Sir George Young announced last Friday that a new system had been put in place to electronically validate petitions with over 100,000 signatures.

In the run-up to last year’s General Election, Prime Minister David Cameron promised that any petition to amass more than 100,000 signatures would quality for a House of Commons debate.

Eighty-five per cent of the signatures to the RE:ACT petition came via paper petitions, meaning that it does not satisfy the new electronic procedure.

Richard Smart, marketing director at Premier and a key organiser of the campaign, said the Government should accept its petition.

“We welcome the news that this system has finally been put in place and see no reason why a House of Commons debate on this issue can’t go ahead,” he said.

“Our petition was launched before the new rules came to pass but we hope that the Government will honour its pre-election promise and not disenfranchise those who prefer to sign paper petitions.”

Support for RE has come from the church but also many politicians, with more than a hundred MPs signing an Early Day Motion calling for the subject to be included in the EBac.

A report published by the Parliament’s Education Select Committee last week urged the Government to think again on the exclusion of RE.

The report notes the controversy over the choice of subjects included in the EBac and the failure of the Government to consult on its composition.

It encourages the Government to “examine carefully the evidence presented [and] reconsider the composition of the EBac”.

Nola Leach, Head of Public Affairs, CARE, and former teacher said, “The Government must understand that the concern about the exclusion of RE from the EBac has nothing to do with the provision of statutory RE which has never been threatened by these proposals.

“Rather the concern is that unless RE is included as part of the EBac, its future as a serious academic exam subject will be placed in jeopardy and the subject will inevitably be marginalised.

“The Government must seize this opportunity to have a rethink and make good the failings of their earlier announcement.”