Agreed Syllabus Research Articles

Other than White in a British Context: A Response from Black Theology to the Trojan Horse Affair

As the fallout from the “Trojan Horse” affair continues to cause concerns in Birmingham, I use two theo-ethical resources with which to examine the reports by Clarke and Kershaw. I find the reports issued by the aforementioned to be deeply flawed. In the first instance, I utilize Black theology, as a Black theological methodology undergirds everything I write. Starting from the Bible, particularly the two Dominical Commandments, I posit that we must love the “Other because we love God. Then, in the second instance, I offer a tool to remedy matters, which already exists in the city, namely the Birmingham Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education. Divided into “dispositions,” the syllabus explores human aspects such as “Truth,” “Honesty” and “Roots,” and is resonant and relevant to human flourishing in the city and beyond. This article re-examines these dispositions in light of Black theology based ideals and demonstrates how the concerns of Clarke and Kershaw are already being addressed within the city itself by this educational resource.

Ethnic diversity, Christian hegemony and the emergence of multi-faith religious education in the 1970s

1This article provides a detailed reconstruction of the processes leading to the formation of the widely influential Birmingham Agreed Syllabus of Religious Instruction (1975). This is contextualised within one of the most significant periods in the history of race relations in the United Kingdom. The authors discuss how this syllabus, and other landmark reforms in religious education (RE) in English schools from the late 1960s, responded to ethnic diversity by promoting supposedly culturally pluralist, multi-faith approaches to RE, which were subsequently perceived as eroding the Christian foundations of British/English national identity. They argue that the vilification of these curriculum reforms by culturally conservative critics was in fact based on an erroneous assessment of the extent to which these renounced the Christian hegemony of RE. They also critique the assumption that the religious clauses of the 1988 Education Reform Act represented a simple transition from culturally pluralist to assimilationist policies for the subject. 1

‘She made me think about God’

Teaching is interventionist. Agreement is necessary to decide what is to be taught. May one begin from the premise that God is worthy of attention? And how can teachers help pupils discern true from false in religion? This article compares the Non-Statutory National Framework for Religious Education with the Birmingham Agreed Syllabus to consider the purpose of religious education in non-denominational schools.

Context, complexity and contestation: Birmingham’s Agreed Syllabuses for Religious Education since the 1970s

The present article offers an historical perspective on the 1975, 1995 and 2007 Birmingham Agreed Syllabuses for Religious Education. It draws upon historical evidence uncovered as part of ‘The hidden history of curriculum change in religious education in English schools, 1969–1979’ project, and curriculum history theories, especially David Labaree’s observations about the distance between the ‘rhetorical’ and ‘received’ curricula. We argue that, contrary to the existing historiography, curriculum change in religious education (RE) has been evolutionary not revolutionary. Multiple reasons are posited to explain this, not least among which is the capacity and agency of teachers. Furthermore, we argue that ongoing debates about the nature and purpose of RE, as exemplified in the Birmingham context, reflect the multiple expectations that religious educators and other stakeholders had, and continue to have, of the curriculum subject. These debates contribute to the inertia evident in the implementation of RE curriculum reforms. A consciousness of the history of RE enables curriculum contestations to be contextualised and understood, and, thereby, provides important insights which can be applied to ongoing and future debates and developments.

TEACHING BUDDHISM IN BRITAIN'S SCHOOLS: REDEFINING THE INSIDER ROLE

Dialogical approaches to Religious Education in Britain's schools have opened the subject to input by Buddhist insiders more than ever in its history, although shortcomings remain in the way Buddhism is portrayed in the classroom. With the proviso that insider input can move beyond the ‘do-ut-des’ religious style, this paper describes eight possible areas of classroom experience where Buddhist insiders can make a beneficial contribution. Of these, examples could be found in the educational literature where insider input through home nurture, teaching materials, teacher expertise, insider input and pedagogy had already been applied to good effect in the classroom. However, in the areas of the Agreed Syllabuses for Religious Education, school ethos and national representation input was found lacking or skewed toward ‘convert’ Buddhist expectations, while the voice of the more numerous ‘migrant’ Buddhist community remained relatively unheard.

Evaluating the impact of the Hampshire agreed syllabus: ‘Living Difference’ on teaching and learning in religious education

This article sets out the findings of an exploratory study which looked at the impact of the Hampshire Agreed Syllabus, ‘Living Difference’, on teaching and learning in religious education. The research was carried out in Hampshire, Southampton, and Portsmouth, UK, between April and June 2008. Twenty teachers were interviewed, all of whom were using Living Difference and all of whom had reported that they were finding the syllabus effective in relation to their previous practice. The aim was to find out what it was about Living Difference that these teachers felt was producing more effective teaching and more successful learning in RE and why. The study also examined what might need developing or changing in the syllabus and its implementation. The author compares with other pedagogies of RE aspects of Living Difference including contextualising and evaluating religious material, using concepts, assessing and measuring progression in religious education, differentiation, having one attainment target, developing higher order thinking skills, and enabling student voices to be heard. It also looks at issues in training teachers in using the Agreed Syllabus. The author suggests that Living Difference supports teachers and students primarily at the pedagogical level of objectives, or setting intending learning outcomes, using a framework of understanding pedagogy in RE at three levels: the level of aims, the overall aims of the subject; the level of objectives, of setting intended learning outcomes; and the level of methodology, the activities which enable and support students to achieve those learning outcomes. The article ends with some questions for religious education nationally. Does Living Difference offer a pedagogical model at the level of objectives which could underpin the National Framework for RE and RE in the primary and secondary curricula? Is one attainment target better than two in practice? Does initial teacher training and continuing professional development need to give greater emphasis to learning theory? Should all agreed syllabi provide a pegagogical framework at the level of objectives, like Living Difference does? Should local authorities support training of the kind which is going on in Hampshire?

The 2007 Birmingham Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education: a new direction for statutory religious education in England and Wales

The aim of this article is to introduce and summarise the main feature of the new Birmingham City Council Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education (2007), consider the relevance of its commitments and conclusions to ongoing debates within British religious education, and, finally, offer some kind of provisional assessment of its strengths and worth. By way of introduction, attention is given both to the mounting controversy that currently attends British religious education, which has given rise to conflicting opinions and estimates of its achievements and value, and to the historical role and legal status of agreed syllabuses within English and Welsh education.

‘Curriculum Christianity’

Whilst religious education in the present may be seen to assume new roles and be perceived to be more about process than content, questions about content and the ways in which ‘faiths’ are represented cannot ultimately be avoided. This article focuses on recent Agreed Syllabuses with particular reference to the place they give to Christianity and their representation of this faith tradition. It suggests that lists of content provided by syllabuses continue to prosper the reification of the tradition and mask issues which need to be addressed with respect to Christianity in religious education. Most urgent among these are the contextualisation and the ‘opening up’ of this tradition to an informed critical reflection.

Science‐and‐Religion in the Agreed Syllabuses ‐‐ An Investigation and Some Suggestions

A search for entries on science‐and‐religion in about a hundred current Agreed Syllabuses indicates that the topic is by no means prominent in all syllabuses. Among those that mention the topic, a considerable commonality of issues is apparent as well as some significant omissions. Taking both into account, some suggestions are offered for a more satisfactory treatment of science‐and‐religion and for a higher profile. It is, arguably, a key topic in its potential to encourage more pupils to be open to religious education in a scientific age

Quantitative Work from the Inside: Numbers, Problems and Policy

The setting up of a quantitative research project on Agreed Syllabuses in three local education authorities is described. Practical obstacles and difficulties are outlined. Analysis and findings are discussed. Reflection on the whole process and on the context of educational research in the UK follows. In an era of the National Curriculum variations in local Agreed Syllabuses for RE offer a useful testing ground for educational approaches and methods.

The Effectiveness of Primary Religious Education In‐service Training

This article describes the findings of a small‐scale study into primary teachers’ perceptions of the long term effectiveness of Grants for Education Support and Training (GEST) in‐service courses in religious education (RE). Within the context of the low funding and weaknesses in RE provision in primary schools, the study aimed to identify factors which contribute to or act as barriers to change. The context of in‐service education is briefly explored in relation to ‘effectiveness’, with the need for outcomes to be linked to pupil achievement and contribute to whole‐school improvement. The study found a diminishing, cascade effect of ‘change’ in relation to respondents and the whole staff. Changes, though small, were most evident in respect of respondents’ knowledge and understanding of religions, increased confidence, and their understanding of the role of co‐ordinator. The study found little direct evidence of the effects of courses on pupil achievement. It concludes that the introduction of a new Agreed Syllabus and Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) inspections had positive, short‐term, effects on initiating change in RE. Dissemination and longer‐term, whole‐school developments in RE were affected by management decisions and differing levels of institutional support. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research about the effectiveness of in‐service training.

Evolution not Revolution: an Examination of the Contribution of a Curriculum Development Project to the Implementation of New Agreed Syllabuses

A recent study indicates that secondary school teachers are resisting the changes imposed by new agreed syllabuses and are experiencing difficulty in achieving the balance of aims that these require. It is argued that if teachers are to be persuaded to cooperate in the implementation of the new syllabuses, they must be enabled to interpret syllabus requirements using methods which reflect their own vision for the subject and which meet the needs of their own teaching situations. At the same time, these methods must be developed to ensure that agreed syllabus requirements are met. There is a need to support and guide teachers through the process of change, and curriculum development projects have an important contribution to make to this. An examination of the work of the Warwick RE Project is used to illustrate these points.

The Impact of the Education Reform Act on New Agreed Syllabuses of Religious Education

Seven Agreed Syllabuses of Religious Education have been published in England since the Education Reform Act became law in 1988. These syllabuses are a focus of interest for many local education authorities because they are the first to give public expression to the new criteria for religious education which are set out in the Act. This article explores the impact of the reforms on these new syllabuses and investigates the extent to which they have also been influenced by the statutory requirements placed on National Curriculum subjects.

The concept of a ‘life stance’ in education

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Additional informationNotes on contributorsHarry V. Stopes-RoeHe has recently been associated with the two reports Objective, Fair and Balanced (B.H.A., 1975) and What Future for the Agreed Syllabus? (Religious Education council, 1976).

Book Review: Journey into Faith: Teachers' Handbook to Accompany the Victoria Secondary Schools Agreed Syllabus—Adopted by the Council for Christian Education in Schools, Victoria, 1961

Book Review: Journey into Faith: <i>Teachers' Handbook to Accompany the Victoria Secondary Schools Agreed Syllabus—Adopted by the Council for Christian Education in Schools, Victoria, 1961</i>

Teaching the old Testament Prophets: Their Place in the Agreed Syllabus

Teaching the old Testament Prophets: Their Place in the Agreed Syllabus