Qualifications And Curriculum Authority Research Articles

Evolving project e-scape for national assessment

In the opening paper in this Special Edition I outlined the major issues that led to the establishment of project e-scape. The project was intended to develop systems and approaches that enabled learners to build real-time web-based portfolios of their performance (initially) in design & technology and additionally to build systems and approaches to facilitate the web-based assessment of those portfolios. The project was commissioned by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) with additional ‘buy-in’ from Awarding Bodies—who were seen by QCA as the leading beneficiaries of a successful project. The project was designed in three phases. I have outlined—in the Introduction to this Special Edition—the early exploratory work that we undertook within phase 1, the aim of which was to prove the viability of the concept. This was achieved, and QCA then commissioned phase 2 with a brief to build a working prototype system and run it through a national pilot-testing programme in 2006. Age 15 was the target age-group, aligning as closely as we could with the Awarding Body requirements for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) that runs with age 16 learners. The successes of the phase 2 prototype—both as classroom activity and as reliable assessment—led QCA and Becta (the body responsible for funding ICT developments in schools) to commission phase 3 in which we explored the potential of the e-scape system for wider application. Specifically, we were required to demonstrate the transferability of the system to other curriculum areas beyond design & technology, and the scalability of the system if it were to be used for national assessment purposes, with hundreds of thousands of candidates. In this paper, I outline the approach that we adopted through the e-scape research; describe the major elements of the work both in terms of classroom/curriculum practice and in terms of new approaches to assessment; and analyse some of the key issues that arise from it.

Intercultural perspectives on formal and informal Music learning

This paper reviews some of the changes and developments that have occurred in music education over the last decade, following Hargreaves and North’s (2001) international review. I describe some recent developments in England, in which change has been very rapid, and in which education has had a high political profile, and then consider the three main issues which emerged from our international review, namely curriculum issues; the aims and objectives of music education; and the relationship between music in and out of school. I go on to describe two theoretical models which were developed as a result of my work with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) in England: these are models of the different opportunities in music education, and of its intended outcomes. The first of these reveals the importance of the differences between formal and informal music learning, both of which can take place inside as well as outside schools. I conclude by reflecting on the power and ubiquity of music in young people’s everyday lives, which mean that music education policy should reflect and capitalize upon this power.

TUC Unions into Schools: The next generation of trade unionists

REPORT□ TUCUNIONSINTOSCHOOLS TUC Unions into Schools: The next generation of trade unionists I Schools and new what It that knowledge that is developed the Unions the have they unions the materials benefits address lack TUC's bring been into do of of to knowledge of what unionsdo and the benefits thattheybring thattheTUC's new Unionsinto Schools materials have been developed to address CARL ROPER, TUC National Organiser The the only British frequency bytheir Trade exaggeration. of Union thereports movement Whilst ofthe it's ismatched death true that of theBritish TradeUnionmovement ismatched only bytheir exaggeration. Whilst it'strue that since1979bothunionmembership and density havedeclineddramatically, theTUCanditsaffiliatesstill represent over6 million working people making themovement byfar andawaythebiggest civilsociety organisation intheUK. Formanyworking people tradeunionsarean important part ofworking life. Theyempower them bygiving them a voiceandoffer essential support in theworkplace. Theyhelpbusinessestowork better byencouraging fair andresponsible workingpractices andthere isevenevidence that unions makea significant contribution to theimprovement ofproductivity andoverallefficiency. Yetmuchofthis workgoesunnoticed bya large proportion ofthepopulation. ThereareI think two reasonsforthis.Firstly, thewaythat muchofthe mediareports unionactivity is often partial, subjectiveand inaccurate and constantly harksback toevents that occurred whilst mostofthecurrent working population wereatschoolorbefore they wereevenborn. Secondly, andperhapsmoresignificantly, large swathes oftheworkforce areuntouched bytrade unionorganisation. Unions only represent just over a quarter oftheworkforce andbargain on behalf ofjustovera third. Theyhavefound itdifficult to breakoutintonew sectors oftheeconomyand thenature ofthemodern workforce - morefragmentedand madeup ofworkers in less secure, short term employment -hasposedchallenges to moretraditional forms ofunionorganising. The resultofthisis an increasing numberof 'never members' and therefore a reduction inthenumberofworking peoplewho areabletopass on a positive vieworexperience ofunionmembership. Itis thislackofknowledgeand awarenessof whatunionsdo and thebenefits thattheybring notonlytoindividuals andgroupsofworkers but tosociety aswholethat theTUC'snewUnions into Schoolsmaterials havebeendevelopedtoaddress. Promoting trade unions inschools Previous TUC and unionworkpromoting trades unionsinschoolsbeganin 1997,whentheTUC first puttogether theteaching resourcepack 'A Better WaytoWork'.Thisworkwas augmented withvolunteer tradeunionactivists presenting in schools, the'Speakers inSchools'programme, and then workingwith QCA (Qualificationsand Curriculum Authority) and thethenDepartment for Children Schools& Families inpromoting trade unionsthrough thecurriculum. Theobjectives ofthis work weretosupport efforts to buildawarenessofunionsand thenmembershipthrough promotion ofa positive image oftrade unionsto youngpeople, raisingawarenessof employment rights and theroleoftradeunions and mainstreaming employment rights andtrade unionism within theprovision ofcitizenship, PSHE (Personal, Social,Health andEconomic) andbusiness education.An additionalobjectivewas to developa cohort of(preferably young) trade union activists through the speakersin schools programme . In 2008,theTUC Congress calledfora greater emphasis tobe placedon organising youngpeople and asked fora reviewofthedelivery and structure oftheTradeUnionists intheClassroom programme so that bestpractice might be identifiedandimprovements madetobothcontent and promotion. Responsibility forthedelivery oftheSpeakers inSchoolsprogramme hadbeensharedbetween national TUCandregional TUCoffices witheach takingthe lead at different times.The system required theidentification, then training anddevelopmentofvolunteer speakers(wherepossible undertheage of27) and to broker contact with schools. Despitethebestefforts ofall concerned deliveryofthis element oftheprogramme waspatchy. Demandfrom schools wasvariable andwereitdid existcouldnotalwaysbe metfrom thecohort of volunteers. A keyreasonfor thisbeingtheinabilityofmanyvolunteer repsto gettimeofffrom worktotakepartintheprogramme The secondpartoftheprogramme, theBetter Wayto Workresource packwas first developed in1997andwas revised andre-published in2001 and 2003. BetterWaytoWork The materials weredesignedtobe usedinclassroomsettings forcareers,citizenship and work related learning andwereaimedprimarily atstudents inthe14to16 agegroup. Thematerials consisted offive sections covering theworkofunions intheworkplace, rights andresponsibilities, equal opportunities issues,healthand safety and the future ofwork. Whilst therewas a consistent demandforthe materials, by2008itwas clearthatthematerials werebecoming datedbothinterms oftheir applicability to theschoolteaching curriculum and in relation totheexisting framework ofemployment rights. Therewere also issuesin relation to the ease ofuse ofthematerials forteachers. Thenew'UnionsintoSchools'materials, which werelaunched atunionconferences intheSpring of 2011 are entirely web based and have been developedbytheTUCinpartnership withteachingunions ,NASUWT, NUTand ATL,as wellas UNISON, Unite andUnionlearn, theeducation arm INTERNATIONAL union rights Page 26Volume 18Issue 3201 1 REPORT□ TUCUNIONSINTOSCHOOLS oftheTUC.Theyalso containhistorical content producedin partnership withtheTUC Library Collections atLondonMetropolitan University. Thewebsite brings together bothhistorical and contemporary information, using rich content such as videosandroleplayactivities aimedatmaking learning aboutunions anexciting interactive experience . Thewebresources include lessonplansfor teachersandothers , slidepresentations featuring videos, activities andquizzes,fact sheets andlinks toother sitesproviding complementary materials to help extend students' understanding ofunions, their history and theroletheyplayin thecontemporary workplace andsociety. Likethe'Better WaytoWork'materials, Unions intoSchoolsresources are dividedintofivesections . The essentials is a beginner's guideto unions, explaining whatthey are,whothey represent and whatthey do andisa great introduction for young peoplewho havelittle orno prior knowledge of unions.Theworking livessectionlinksthework ofunionsa guidetounionstothemodern world ofwork;Rights and Responsibilities providesa basicbutup to dateguideto employment rights and thehistory sectionsetscontemporary union worksagainst thebackdropofover200yearsof British labourhistory andfeatures a seriesoffourminute documentaries ondifferent periods. Finally, theWorking forGlobalJustice sectionconsiders unioncampaigns forgloballabourstandards and humanrights, withspecialprofiles on keycountries anda guidetoplanning andlaunching a campaign...

Key Competences in Europe: Opening Doors for Lifelong Learners Across the School Curriculum and Teacher Education

This study on cross-curricular key competences in the school curriculum and in teacher education in the 27 Member States was commissioned by the Directorate-General for Education and Culture of the European Commission. The study was undertaken by a consortium composed of the project leader CASE (Center for Social and Economic Research, Poland), working in partnership with: QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, United Kingdom), EIESP (European Institute for Education and Social Policy, France), the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (Spain) and two Hungarian experts from Eotvos Lorand University and Pannonia University. The aim of the study is to provide a comparative overview of policy and practice concerning the development and implementation of key competences in the education systems of the 27 Member States of the European Union. In particular, the study assesses the implementation of the 8 key competences contained in the European Reference Framework of Key Competences in primary and secondary schools across the EU as well as the extent to which initial and in-service education and training of teachers equips them with the skills and competences necessary to deliver key competences effectively.

A–level psychology: Is there a way forward?

Since its introduction in the early 1970s A–level psychology has grown in popularity to become the fourth most popular A–level. During this time it has also been heavily criticised by the media and higher education for its lack of rigour and practicability. Issues such as the lack of subject specialists, damaging changes made by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and an arrogant and dismissive attitude shown by universities plus failures by the British Psychological Society to inform decision making, have transformed A–level psychology into the poor cousin of undergraduate psychology and psychology teachers into a form of academic underclass. This paper examines the reasons behind such derision and attempts to offer some solutions in an attempt to get such issues firmly back on the agenda.

Children's Ideas About What It Means 'to Get Better' at History: A View from the UK

The past three decades have seen radical changes in policymakers’, educationalists’ and history educators’ ideas about what it means ‘to get better’ in history as a school subject in the UK. Before the advent of a formal, standardised ‘National Curriculum for History’ in 1991, the idea of progression in the subject was loosely defined, not precisely articulated, and seen generally in terms of an aggregation of subject content knowledge, assessed largely through extended writing based on pupil comprehension and recall of what they had been taught. The inception of a National Curriculum for History brought about a much more clearly defined framework for progression in the subject. The introduction of formal (and quite complex) models for measuring pupils’ progress in history, and changing and contested ideas about progression in history as a school subject occasioned vigorous debate, both between politicians, historians and history teacher educators, and between teacher educators themselves. However, less attention has focused on pupils’ ideas about what it means to get better at history, and the extent of their understanding of the models of progression which have been developed in recent years. This study, funded by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), the body responsible for the ‘health’ of the school curriculum in the UK, was part of a review of history as a school subject which aimed to develop more insight into pupil perceptions of history. One strand of the enquiry asked pupils to explain in their own words what they thought it meant ‘to get better at history’. A series of focus group interviews involving 160 pupils between the ages of 11 and 14 across twelve schools in London, the South Coast and the East of England, revealed that many pupils had very little understanding of the models for progression for history which have been put in place in UK schools, and quite vague and inchoate ideas about what it means to make progress in history. Some pupils saw it as primarily a matter of the aggregation of subject content knowledge, others related it to a combination of acquiring more subject content knowledge and getting better at writing essays. Only a minority of pupils, in some of the schools involved, were able to explain progression in terms which in any way reflected the models of progression laid down in official curriculum specifications, and as expounded in adult discourse about history education. It is possible that many teachers have perhaps made assumptions about the extent to which pupils understand what they have to do to make progress in history, and that more time and thought might be invested in this aspect of history education in order to improve pupil motivation and attainment in history.

Social sporting events

Regular exercise improves behaviour-so the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) investigation into the effects of PE and sport on children′s attitudes and conduct in school has found.

A Comparison of Mathematics, Numeracy, and Functional Mathematics: What do they Mean for Adult Numeracy Practitioners?

What is Mathematics? The discipline of mathematics has evolved over time and across different civilizations to become the abstract, professionalized body of knowledge within an international community of practice that we know today, and it will continue to evolve as new knowledge is developed and existing knowledge is superseded. The discourse of mathematics in all its various specializations involves certain ways of thinking and acting. From a given, axiomatic, starting point, logical deductions are made. In mathematical modeling, for example, problems are formulated in mathematical terms. However, in order to be useful, the mathematical solution needs to take into account the industrial, social, environmental, etc. contexts. Yet, the optimal mathematical solution may not be most useful in a sense and compromises must be made. There is not one single absolute and infallible mathematic, but rather, a plurality of mathematics which operates on a pragmatic basis, linked to time and place. Academic mathematics as we know it evolved through the confluence of certain socio-cultural conditions, such as the rise of commerce, the need for timesaving devices such as algorithms, as well as the spread of printed material (Restivo, 1992). Unfortunately, the public image of this mathematics is generally a cold, dehumanized process, which as Davis and Hersh (1986, 1988) point out, is actually intrinsic to the fundamental intellectual processes that are inherent to the discipline. However, a paradox exists in the seeming 'demathematization' of society. As technology becomes more sophisticated, there is an apparent reduction in the amount of explicit mathematical knowledge required for its operation, while the amount of implicit mathematics increases. Although the explicit uses in business and industry are generally valorized, they are mostly concealed from view and, with the exception of arithmetic, not visible to the general public except through their experiences of school mathematics. (For further discussion on mathematics, see FitzSimons, 2002.) What is Functional Mathematics? In the United Kingdom, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) website defines functional skills as practical skills in English, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and Mathematics, that allow individuals to work confidently, effectively and independently in life. Assessment of these applied skills will include electronic and on-screen approaches, and will be based primarily on task-based scenario questions with a limited duration, delivered in a controlled environment. Assessments will use and reinforce skills-based, problem-solving learning techniques. (See Functional Skills website in reference list). The QCA website on mathematics (see Solving Problems in reference list) defines functional mathematics in terms of logical creativity: Mathematics is a creative discipline. The language of mathematics is international. The subject transcends cultural boundaries and its importance is universally recognized. Mathematics has developed over time as a means of solving problems and also for its own sake. Mathematics can stimulate moments of pleasure and wonder when pupils solve a problem for the first time, discover a more elegant solution, or notice hidden connections. Pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of mathematics through activities, exploration and discussion, learning to talk about their methods and explain their reasoning. A workshop on functional mathematics for 14- to 19-year-olds proposed several key themes: (a) relevance of content materials, (b) development of thinking skills, (c) conceptual understanding of mathematics, (d) integrated use of information technology, and (e) comprehensive assessment, including a sustained activity for learners to demonstrate their relatively straightforward mathematical abilities in complex contexts. …

The Challenges of A-level RE

It was a great honour to be asked to speak at the conference, and to contribute to this journal, and also, I felt, a great surprise. The surprise lies in the fact that, as a classroom teacher and head of department in a comprehensive school, I feel that I only have a very limited strategic vision for RE; I know what I know very well, but even as a member of a Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE), I don't really have the 'big vision' that I had thought was required to produce a paper like this. This is the origin of the 'trench' analogy that I refer to in my title. From my perspective, if you are involved in policy making?either through the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) or th e Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), then your view is like a satellite photograph of Europe; spanning an enormous area, the perfect position from which to make far-reaching strategic decisions. (This position does have the disadvantage that you are very long way indeed from whatever is actually happening on the ground!) If, on the other hand, you are a university academic, then your view is like that of the artillery observer flying over the battlefield; much more close up that the previous view; combining a fairly good awareness of what is happening on the ground with a good grasp of medium term strategy (you can see over the hills and forests that the troops on the ground can't). This view is not without its frustrations however; the observer will say 'Why can't A company reach that

Screen-based assessment

Inexorably and across several fronts, screen-based assessment is becoming a major part of the experience of university students, particularly but not exclusively in the sciences. This movement reflects the emphasis the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is giving to the development of screen-based assessment at secondary level, where the universal availability of an -assessment option in high stakes exams is an adopted goal.The drivers for this change are economic, pedagogic and opportunistic. Rapid technological progress is facilitating the wider availability of computer based tasks that reflect authentically the learning outcomes of science courses. There is growing experience in the design of such tasks, with increasing commercial involvement, particularly in the USA. An examination of theories of assessment demonstrates that there are sound pedagogic reasons to pursue these developments.The main focus of this review will be assessment for which a computer acts as a means of delivery, grading and feedback. I will outline the capabilities of contemporary systems, illustrate some good practice, and identify areas where the use of the technology is moving forward rapidly. There are exciting developments in the grading of free format responses, in diagram or text form, which are now emerging on a pilot basis. Of particular interest is the assessment of higher order cognitive and subject skills. Alsoimportant is the potential for item banks that can allow the sharing of the costs of authorship. Several of these issues are reviewed more fully in Conole and Warbuton.Finally, I will comment briefly on assessment that is facilitated by computers without the computer acting as a grading tool. At a mundane level, this might involve the electronic submission of traditional assignments. Of more interest are electronically mediated peer assessment, the generation of e-portfolios, the grading of screen based experimentation and the evaluation of the student’s performance in contributing to computer based group activities, e.g. Wikis, electronic conferences, etc.

Screen-Based Assessment

Inexorably and across several fronts, screen-based assessment is becoming a major part of the experience of university students, particularly but not exclusively in the sciences. This movement reflects the emphasis the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is giving to the development of screen-based assessment at secondary level, where the universal availability of an -assessment option in high stakes exams is an adopted goal. The drivers for this change are economic, pedagogic and opportunistic. Rapid technological progress is facilitating the wider availability of computer based tasks that reflect authentically the learning outcomes of science courses. There is growing experience in the design of such tasks, with increasing commercial involvement, particularly in the USA. An examination of theories of assessment demonstrates that there are sound pedagogic reasons to pursue these developments. The main focus of this review will be assessment for which a computer acts as a means of delivery, grading and feedback. I will outline the capabilities of contemporary systems, illustrate some good practice, and identify areas where the use of the technology is moving forward rapidly. There are exciting developments in the grading of free format responses, in diagram or text form, which are now emerging on a pilot basis. Of particular interest is the assessment of higher order cognitive and subject skills. Also important is the potential for item banks that can allow the sharing of the costs of authorship. Several of these issues are reviewed more fully in Conole and Warbuton. Finally, I will comment briefly on assessment that is facilitated by computers without the computer acting as a grading tool. At a mundane level, this might involve the electronic submission of traditional assignments. Of more interest are electronically mediated peer assessment, the generation of e-portfolios, the grading of screen based experimentation and the evaluation of the student’s performance in contributing to computer based group activities, e.g. Wikis, electronic conferences, etc.

FUNCTIONAL MATHEMATICS: WHAT IS IT?

The authors of this paper are part of one of the teams funded by The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) to research pathways in mathematics for the 14–19 age group. Apart of their work has been to examine the concept of functional mathematics and attempt to define it. The paper sets out the origins of the phrase, the problems that the concept is called upon to address and previous solutions to these problems. Through the lessons drawn from these previous solutions the paper attempts to give meaning to the concept of functional mathematics.

Science GCSEs: the choices for September

From September 2006 schools across England and Wales will have to deliver the new KS4 Programme of study. The wide consultation initiated by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) in the year 2000 resulted in the piloting of the new criteria in 78 different schools and colleges. The piloting was performed by the awarding body Oxford Cambridge RSA(OCR) and a team of educational experts from the University of York (Burden and Hall, 2006). The awarding bodies OCR, Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) and Edexcel have now produced distinct specifications offering a range of teaching and learning styles as well as a variety of assessment schemes. The final decision on which GCSEs to offer will depend on the school's staffing and timetabling, the progression routes required by the students, as well as available resources and budgetary constraints. This review describes the range of Science GCSEs offered by the different awarding bodies, the timetabling, flexibility, and assessment implications and provides a breakdown of the biology content for each of the new specifications.

Science changes set to inspire students

In 2003 the Government set out its vision and agenda for 14–19 education in the Green Paper 14–19: Opportunity and Excellence [1]. As a result, the DfES asked the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) to revise its programme of study for science at Key Stage 4 (14–16). These revisions come into force in September 2006 and schools are being advised to start considering their options now. This article explains the background and tries to demystify some of the choices available to schools and colleges.

The State of Geography Education in English Secondary Schools: An Insight into Practice and Performance in Assessment

Over the last 20 years policy makers have introduced a number of measures intended to improve the quality of education provided by state secondary schools in England. The survey reported here, undertaken at the request of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), offers an insight into geography education in such schools with particular reference to assessment. A small national sample of school geography departments (n = 17), most of which were in partnership with their local higher education institution (HEI) for the provision of initial teacher training, provided the data. The results create a snapshot of geography education and its assessment across a range of state secondary schools. Whilst the diversity of the schools sometimes leads to very specific and non-generalisable results, there are trends in performance which appear despite variations in the schools’ location, size and catchment areas.

Achieving the Lisbon Goal: the contribution of Vocational Education and Training

AbstractThis article summarises the main conclusions of the ‘Maastricht study’: Achieving the Lisbon Goal: The Contribution of VET (Leney et al., 2004), which the UK Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), in collaboration with the Institute of Education and other international partners, prepared for the European Commission's DG Education and Culture in 2004. Based on the self‐assessment reports prepared by the Directors‐General for VET (DGVTs) of 31 European countries, and on independent expert reviews of the national and international literature on VET, the report analysed the contribution of VET to achieving the Lisbon goal and influenced the framing of the Maastricht Communiqué which the European education ministers agreed in December 2004. This summary of the findings of the report is organised under the following sections: 1) The potential of VET as an aspect of European cooperation; 2) The current state of play and progress of VET towards achieving the Lisbon goal; 3) Innovation in VET teaching and learning; and 4) Conclusions.

Reach to Teach ICT: Issues and Compromises

This paper outlines some implications for pupils' learning and for teachers of information and communication technology (ICT) in primary or elementary education of using complete `reach and teach' resource and lesson plan solutions to support a national scheme of work. The example resources referenced in the paper are `The LCP ICT Resource Files for Schools', designed to enable teachers to deliver the ICT National Curriculum requirements for England and are structured to closely follow the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) scheme of work. The authors of the LCP ICT Resource Files became aware that there was a widespread takeup of their materials and that, therefore, the resources had potentially a substantial impact upon practice in many schools. Models of curriculum provision are presented and characteristics of good practice are adduced which the author recommends to those who write, review or evaluate complete teaching solutions for ICT.

Whole‐class interactive teaching and learning in religious education: transcripts from four primary classrooms

The UK Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) documents for religious education indicate two distinct areas for study that may be characterised as teaching about the main faith traditions and tackling puzzling problems. This paper presents a detailed analysis of whole‐class interactive teaching and learning in one session in each of four classrooms. The analysis will present two sessions with younger pupils and two with older pupils. The sessions analysed will reflect the QCA distinctions. The mode of analysis employed focuses at the level of utterance on categories of utterance derived from studies of classroom talk in relation to learning intentions. In discussion we will describe the topography of the lessons and address two key issues, the distinctive features to these religious education sessions and the distinctions between types of lesson.

Indifference and Essentialism in Religious Education

THIS PAPER ARGUES that religious education in England and Wales has fallen into the twin traps of indifferentism and essentialism as a direct result of moving away from the committed teaching of Christianity in the early 1970s. The two attainment targets for RE set by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) are considered. The first results in indifference and the second in essentialism. It is argued that the solution is to recover, in the main, the committed teaching of Christianity which can be done in a way that preserves an element of openness and debate in the teaching. Surveys of parental opinion are quoted in support.

The new national framework for RE in England and Wales: a critique

The article sets out to discern the aims and objectives of the proposed National Framework for RE and finds them biased towards the study of other people's religious traditions. It observes the differences between religious studies and religious education and the consequences of confining the latter to the former, notably that moral and attitudinal dispositions are not implicit in religious studies. The article further notes that what the proposed Framework recommends is misleading and does not adhere strictly to the law. Many of the concepts and terms used by the Framework are confused and in some cases are disparaging towards religious life. Finally, it observes that the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) did not follow the process set out for agreeing RE syllabi in devising its Framework, to which many of its deficiencies might well be attributed.