Learning about religion and faith is a vital part of a child’s education, the Archbishop of Wales said at the launch of a month-long celebration of Religious Education in schools across Wales.
Dr Barry Morgan said RE educates the whole person, broadening their horizons and helping them understand the world they live in. He also acknowledged the support the subject receives from the Welsh Assembly Government.
Schools, colleges, local authorities and faith communities across Wales and England are all celebrating the value of Religious Education throughout March. The initiative, ‘Celebrating RE’ is being organised by the RE Council for England and Wales. The Wales Association of SACREs together with the National Advisory Panel for Religious Education are taking the lead in Wales. Hundreds of national and regional events have been planned, which are designed to promote and showcase the value of quality Religious Education.
The official launch of ‘Celebrating RE’ in Wales by the Archbishop was held today on March 2 at Stanwell School, Penarth. At the event representatives of other faiths in Wales – Jewish, Hindu, Muslim Sikh, Buddhist and Baha’i – also spoke about the value of RE.
Children sang a song written for the event by Welsh composer, Pwyll ap Siôn. This shared song of celebration will link together young people from across Wales and England as they celebrate Religious Education together.
Dr Morgan said, “In 2011, we can say with confidence that this is a good time to be a person of faith in Wales. Issues of faith are discussed openly and there is a welcome for faith groups to speak with Welsh Government to the highest level, with a shared commitment to work in partnership to give our children and young people the very best start in life, and equip them with knowledge, values and meaning that will equip them for the journey of their lives.
“We are fortunate in Wales that the value of Religious Education has been recognised and supported by the Welsh Assembly Government. RE has played its part in the review of the school curriculum and is benefitting from the Exemplar Framework for Religious Education published in 2008…
“I have such hope that this event, reaching across Wales, will inform and give richness to the curriculum that our teachers deliver and that it will help our schools to become places of exploration, humanity and shared endeavour, rather than places of narrow personal attainment.”
Dr Morgan also said RE helped promote tolerance and understanding in today’s world. He said, “The current generation of young people in our schools will immerse themselves in a world where boundaries of nationality and culture are breaking down. Surely we have a duty to prepare them for that experience and to have a confident understanding of why their friend, work colleague, team mate or partner places such an emphasis on their faith.”
He added, “‘Celebrating RE’ is an opportunity for the faith community of Wales to acknowledge with gratitude the tremendous work that going on in schools across Wales, to lead our children and young people to the threshold of a new understanding of faith and culture. It should also give us an opportunity to pledge our support in every prayerful and practical way to this cause.”
Dr Tania ap Siôn, representing the Wales Planning Group, said:
“Religious Education in Wales today provides a special place where young people are able to engage with fundamental questions, explore different beliefs and practices, and offer their own personal responses. Through Religious Education, young people are being equipped with the skills needed to learn about themselves and others in a safe and respectful environment. This is of immense educational value and offers a significant contribution to community cohesion in our communities. The ‘Celebrating RE’ month gives us an opportunity to celebrate the important contribution of Religious Education and to showcase good practice.”
Both the English version (Place of Trust) and the Welsh version (Hafan Ffydd) have been released by Sain, and feature well-known Welsh singers Dafydd Dafis and Eleri Fôn with a choir from Ysgol Tryfan, Bangor. The song, available from iTunes, will be performed by school choirs at both the England and the Wales launches as well as by schools across Wales and England through the ‘Celebrating RE’ month.
For more information, visit the ‘Celebrating RE’ website (www.celebratingre.org)
Photograph: The Archbishop with RE students from Stanwell School
