Religious Education
Religious Education is an important subject for children, as the following paragraphs from the government’s 2010 RE guidance document, Religious education in English schools: Non-statutory guidance 2010, makes clear:
- Religion and beliefs inform our values and are reflected in what we say and how we behave. RE is an important subject in itself, developing an individual’s knowledge and understanding of the religions and beliefs which form part of contemporary society.
- Religious education provokes challenging questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, the self and the nature of reality, issues of right and wrong, and what it means to be human. It can develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity, of other principal religions, other religious traditions and worldviews that offer answers to questions such as these.
- RE also contributes to pupils’ personal development and well-being and to community cohesion by promoting mutual respect and tolerance in a diverse society. RE can also make important contributions to other parts of the school curriculum such as citizenship, personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE education), the humanities, education for sustainable development and others. It offers opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual development, deepening the understanding of the significance of religion in the lives of others – individually, communally and cross-culturally.
It is important that children have the opportunity to learn about the Bahá’í Faith as part of their Religious Studies. The Bahá’í Faith offers soul-stirring insights into the meaning and purpose of life, and about God’s progressive revelation of Himself to humankind through the lives and teachings of God’s Messengers and Prophets.
The Bahá’í teachings, with their emphasis on unity, justice and the development of personal virtues, can make an important contribution to pupil’s personal development and well-being.
The non-statutory guidance suggests that study of Bahá’í beliefs can be included in the locally agreed syllabus, as it is in a growing number of local authorities.
You can access a wealth of RE resources on the official Bahá'í RE site by clicking here.
Religious Education Council
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the UK is a member of the Religious Education Council of England and Wales.
SACRE
Bahá’ís are members of SACRE, the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education, in a growing number of Local Authority areas.
If you are a member of SACRE, whether or not you are a Bahá’í, and want to find out more about the Bahá’í Faith, the present site offers useful information. If you have questions that the site doesn’t answer, please feel free to email opa-re@bahai.org.uk or telephone the National Bahá’í Centre on 020-7584 2566.
You can access excellent SACRE-related resources by clicking here.
Other curriculum areas
The Bahá’í Faith can also provide resources for other areas of study, including citizenship, PSHE and the humanities. The Bahá’í teachings have much to say about citizenship and the building of community, as well as about ethics and morality. And the Bahá’í community offers an object lesson in the development of community cohesion amongst a highly diverse body of people.
Support for RE
Bahá’ís are keen to support RE. If there is a Bahá’í community in your area, one or other of the community’s members may be willing to visit your school, assist with an assembly, or speak about aspects of their faith to classes.
To find out where the nearest Bahá’ís are, please telephone the National Bahá’í Centre on 020-7584 2566 or email nsa@bahai.org.uk
If you have specific questions relating to the Bahá'í Faith and religious education, please email opa-re@bahai.org.uk