Monmouthshire focuses on religious education this month as schoolchildren across the county participate in the Celebrating RE Festival taking place throughout Wales and England. Celebrating RE will provide valuable opportunities to raise awareness of the prominent role religious education has to draw communities together and will allow those taking part to share its impact locally, regionally and nationally.
Events have been arranged in each of the county’s four comprehensive schools and children from feeder primary schools have been invited to attend. They have already joined in workshops at Caldicot and Chepstow and further days of celebration will be held in King Henry VIII School, Abergavenny on Tuesday, 22nd March and Monmouth on Monday, 28th March when Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury will be present.
Workshops have featured informal conversation with members of the local faith communities and colourful performances from India Dance Wales as well as chances for children to engage with religious artefacts. Monmouthshire’s School Library Service has organised artefact quizes and educational activities.
A song, entitled “Place of Trust” has been commissioned and distributed to Monmouthshire primary schools in readiness for collective performances at the end of each Celebrating RE Day.
Several of Monmouthshire’s primary schools will also be running RE Focus Days throughout March in support of the Festival and the council’s SACRE (Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education) has prepared a “Toolbox of Ideas for Schools” to support these ventures.
County Councillor Liz Hacket Pain, Monmouthshire’s cabinet member for Children and Young People said: ”It is wonderful to see so how many young people are involved with this project. They have participated with such enthusiasm to all aspects of the event. The event has been fun with time to reflect the meaning of faith.”
