The Case for a Humanist Full Member of Group a on a SACRE

The case for Humanist full membership of West Sussex County Council SACRE

The British Humanist Association (BHA) represents the interests of the non-religious population (see for more information). The majority of the UK population (50.7%) are non-religious (British Social Attitudes, 2009)

The case for Humanist full membership of SACRE has never been stronger. Numerous sourcessupport this, including those from WSCC itself. It is difficult to think of a single good reason why a Humanist should not be included.

The following extracts, quotes and facts support Humanist full membership of West Sussex County Council SACRE. The most relevant parts are in bold.

I have attended most SACRE meetings during the last 4 years, as an observer. In 2007 and 2010, my applications for SACRE membershipwere rejected.

In my role as Local Development Volunteer, I represent the British Humanist Association in Crawley Borough Council, Mid Sussex District Council and West Sussex County Council. I have also set up local groups in Horsham, Haywards Heath and Chichester, with more to follow.

I am a member of Crawley Inter Faith Network and contributed the Humanism sections of the Faith, Belief and Culture guides for CrawleyBC and West Sussex Fire Rescue Service. I attend council meetings and take part in consultations, e.g. Sussex Partnership NHS Spirituality Strategy. I give local talks on Humanism, e.g. during CentralSussexCollege’s Diversity Week.

I have appended a summary of Humanism, together with a Word version of a PowerPoint presentation I gave toWest Sussex SACRE in 2006. Further information can be found at

I urge you to support my application for full membership of West Sussex SACRE in 2011.

Thank you.

Andrew Edmondson

(Local Development Volunteer for the British Humanist Association)

Tel: 01444 811413

email:

WestSussexCounty Council Documents

Revised RE syllabus

Humanism is now mentioned in the RE syllabus, along with secular world views.

Principles for the new RE syllabus:

6. The syllabus should be inclusive and be relevant to pupils who come from a background of any religion or none.

Annual Report 2008: self-evaluation exercise

The membership of the SACRE strongly reflects the diversity of the wider religious and professional community.The SACRE and LA ensure representation broadly reflects the diversity of the local community.

Good use is made of co-option to ensure membership of the SACRE is well informed and is highly representative of the diversity of the local community.

The SACRE fully uses the National Framework in the construction of the revised agreed syllabus.

SACRE has a clear commitment to the part RE can play in promoting the socialand racial harmony agenda

The SACRE has limited information about, or contact with, wider local authority initiatives linked to the promotion of social and racial harmony, e.g CrawleyBC is actively involved in Crawley Inter Faith Network, which includes a Humanist member (Andrew Edmondson)

Annex 1

An effective locally agreed RE syllabus should ... reflect breadth and balance in religious education, particularly taking into account local characteristics and circumstances.(see Statistics of Belief)

Treating People as Individuals Policy

By law the county council must have action plans thatset out what they will do to make sure that people inWest Sussex are treated according to their needs. Action Plan 6 is Religion. Point 3 says “Making sure that the county council thinks about people from different religions [or beliefs] when they plan their services”.

Educational Directives

OFSTED “Making Sense of Religion”

119. There are, however, powerful arguments for retaining SACREs. They reflect the continuing importance of religious and non-religiousbeliefs in the lives of individuals and communities. It is essential that local faith communities are confident that what is taught is accurate and balanced. Parents, whether involved in faith communities or not, need to be assured that their child’s school respects diversity, understands the importance which belief and commitment play in developing personal identity, and supports the growth of community cohesion. Enabling the representatives of this diversity to meet is important.

120. With agreed syllabus conferences, SACREs provide diverse religious and non-religious communities with a unique opportunity to contribute to the curriculum and gain insights into issues in English education.

National Curriculum

The RE section of the new National Curriculum for secondary education will supersede the current Non-Statutory Framework for RE. This new curriculum uses the term “religion and belief” throughout, and supports the teaching of Humanism. The planned new National Curriculum for Primary education is expected to follow suit.

RE encourages pupils to learn from different religions, beliefs, values and traditions.

Schools have a responsibility to provide a broad and balanced curriculum for all pupils.

The Non-Statutory Framework for RE (QCA)

Inclusiveness is an important principle underpinning good RE.

Many pupils come from religious backgrounds but others have no attachment to religious beliefsand practices. Therefore, to ensure that all pupils’ voices are heard and that the RE curriculum is broad and balanced, it is recommended that there should be opportunities for all pupils to study … secular philosophies such ashumanism.”

Department for Education and Skills

It is perfectly possible for RE to include teaching about non-theistic ways of life, such as Humanism, and the moral values associated with them.

GCSE examination boards

WJEC… non-religious, atheistic or humanist answers are equally

acceptable.

Edexcel… candidates answering from an atheistic or agnostic perspective will be examined on exactly the same basis as for any other candidate.

DCSF Guidance 2010

The new guidance no longer prohibits Humanist membership of SACRE. Indeed, it includes a case study of a SACRE appointing a Humanist member.
Humanism is mentioned on three occasions in the new guidance.
[non-religious] belief is mentioned 57 times, and the term worldview twice. Humanism is the major non-religious belief in the UK.
The statutory duty of schools to promote community cohesion is mentioned on 21 occasions. Community cohesion is impossible if the non-religious are excluded. The non-religious comprise the second largest belief group in the UK.
The guidance strongly promotes inclusion and tailoring RE to the needs of the community (36% of which prefer Humanist explanations, and 64% of 12-19 year olds are atheists or agnostics).
There are 5 references toa broad and balanced curriculum, which can only be achieved by including non-religious beliefs.
There are numerous references to ideas such as morality (mentioned 10 times) which would benefit from a Humanist perspective.
The new guidance specifically states that it is not an authoritative interpretation of the law; that is a matter for the courts. As I mentioned before, it is inconceivable that a County Council would be prosecuted under the Eduation Act for including a Humanist representative, in view of the more recent Human Rights Act. The DCSF have gone as far as they are able under the current law. We will have to wait for a new Education Act to bring education in line with Equality Law and the Human Rights Act. No County Council has been prosecuted for including a Humanist representative.

Human Rights Act 1998

Legislation previous to the HRA [must] be interpreted to meet its requirements; so that, for example, references to "religion" should be interpreted to mean "religion andbelief" (Section 3). Thus a case could be made for humanists to be full members of Committee A (which includes "other religions").

State shall support the rights of parents to ensure such education and teaching is in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions (Article 2)

Equality Act 2006

Prohibited discrimination.Part 49: Educational establishments

(1) It is unlawful for the responsible body of an educational establishment … to discriminate against a person

(c) where he is a pupil of the establishment

(i) in the way in which it affords himaccess to any benefit,

facilityor service,

(ii) by refusing himaccess to a benefit, facility or service …

Convention on the Rights of the Child (ratified by UK in 1991)

The child shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds ... (CRC, Article 13, 1)

Other SACREs

80 of the 152 SACREs have Humanist representation. 2 of these are Chairs, and one is Vice Chair. 9 are full members.

No SACRE has ever been penalised for having a Humanist full member (such action would contravene the Human Rights Act).

Community cohesion

Guidance for schools on Community cohesion (2007)

.. a school's contribution to community cohesion:

1. Teaching, learning and curriculum
Helping pupils to learn to understand others, to value diversity whilst also promotingshared values, to promote awareness of human rightsand to apply and defend them, and to develop the skills of participation and responsible action.

Every school - whatever its intake and wherever it is located - is responsible for educating children and young people who will live and work in a country which is diverse in terms of cultures, religions or beliefs, ethnicities and social backgrounds.

3.1 How does a school contribute towards community cohesion?

As a starting point, schools build community cohesion by promoting equality of opportunity and inclusion for different groups of pupils within a school. But alongside this focus on inequalities and a strong respect for diversity, they also have a role in promoting shared values and encouraging their pupils to actively engage with others to understand what they all hold in common.

All schools, whatever the mix of pupils they serve, are responsible for equipping those pupils to live and thrive alongside people from many different backgrounds. For some schools with diverse pupil populations, existing activities and work aimed at supporting pupils from different ethnic or socioeconomic backgrounds to learn with, from and about each other, will already be contributing towards community cohesion. For other schools where the pupil population is less diverse or predominantly of one socioeconomic, ethnic, religious or non-religious background, more will need to be done to provide opportunities for interaction between children and young people from different backgrounds.

Teaching, learning and curriculum

Many schools have built very successful approaches to using the curriculum and teaching and learning techniques as a tool in building community cohesion, for instance, by providing:

• Opportunities across the curriculum to promote shared values and help pupils to value differences and to challenge prejudice, discrimination and stereotyping. As well as the opportunities in citizenship described above, there are opportunities across the curriculum and in the new programmes of study for Religious Education (RE) and Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE).
• Engagement with parents through curriculum evenings, teaching and learning activities such as parent and child courses, and family liaison work, tailored to suit the needs and requirements of the school and parents. For example, reaching parents who may need additional support through other local bodies and community points of contact.

Schools to local authorities and other partners

Local authorities, religious or non-religiousorganisations including SACREs, and other voluntary and community organisations have an important role in supporting schools to discharge the duty to promote community cohesion.

Other support

Religious Education Council of England and Wales

RE should be open to all pupils regardless of their beliefs.

If RE is 'open' it is necessary for pupils to learn that there are many who do not believe or practise a theistic or religious worldview. Indeed if pupils did not learn this, it could be said they were victims of indoctrination.

Humanismand othernon-theistic beliefs have their own views about religion and these ought to be part of a pupil's RE.

Humanist thinking has influenced the RE and PSHE curriculum, particularly in the exploration of the term 'spiritual'.

Many pupils come from non-religious backgrounds and probably share some of the views Humanists express.

Handbook for SACREs, ASCs and Schools(1989)

One generally accepted aim of RE would be … to encourage knowledge and understanding of religions and similar world views.Humanism can be seen as such a world view.

Attainment and National Curriculum (1991)

Some would argue that religion is not necessarily defined or confined by the idea oftranscendence but involves insights into the human condition. It emphasizes the search for some final source of meaning in the universe. This might be defined as the way people order their lives and behaviour at the deepest level. Without the existence of a national consensus on a definition of religion, Syllabus Conferences need to do one of the following:

use a definition of religion which permits any belief system to be regarded as religious;

adopt a more generally acceptable use of the term ‘religion’, as found in the GCSE National Criteria, and add “world-views” or “non-theistic stances” or a similar phrase.

Humanismand othernon-theistic beliefs have their own views about religion and these ought to be part of a pupil's RE.

The RE Council has benefited since its foundation from the active membership of the British Humanist Association.

SCAA (a broadly based conference of interested parties, 1993)

Recommended thatknowledge and understanding of the Christian and other principal religious faiths and ethicaltraditions should be included in the Aims of RE.

DfEE

A letter from the DfEE to former BHA President, Sir Hermann Bondi FRS in 1994 confirmed that “itis perfectly possible for RE to include teaching about non-theistic ways of life, such asHumanism,and the moral values associated with them.” (See Appendix D, page

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (Guidance on RE in 2000)

... non-religiousviews.

By exploring issues within and acrossfaiths, pupils learn to understand and respect different religions, beliefs, values and traditions(including ethical life stances)…

Church of England

Canon John Hall, Church of England director of education, said in the TES of 11/7/2003: “RE needsto take account of the variety of answers to these questions… [including] other faith ones andHumanist ones.”

Canon Peter Humphrey, national adviser for RE for the Bishops’ Conference, said in the samearticle: “I would expect a good syllabus to cover a wide-ranging programme to give an overview ofreligion to all students. Agnostics, atheists and Humanists should have an input, and any otherrecognised philosophy.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury, in a talk to the RE Council in May 2005 (full transcript at ), said: “A good religious education assists a person in being serious…" and made useful distinctions between atheism andHumanism: " Humanism, I regard as a much wider word. Which while it assumes that you can’t talk with confidence or authority about the divine, is more interested in the innate capacities of human beings to make meaning and to sustain meaning together."

Secretary of State for Education (Charles Clarke)

Acknowledged the valuable work ofHumanists in RE and invited the British Humanist Associationto participate in the working party (2003-4) on the non-statutorynational framework for RE.

ACCORD

ACCORD is a wide coalition of organisations which includes religious groups, humanists, trade unions and human rights campaigners, including:

The Association of Teachers and Lecturers

The British Humanist Association

Ekklesia

HinduAcademy

The Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement

The Socialist Education Association

Women Against Fundamentalism

Declaration of aims:

In a pluralist, multi-cultural society, the state should promote tolerance and recognition of different values and beliefs. Given the dangers of segregation and the importance of community cohesion we need schools that welcome all and are committed to non-discrimination. Schools should promote a culture of questioning, of knowledge, of respect and of exploration of values, where students develop their own identities and sense of place in the world. We believe all state-funded schools should:

1. Operate admissions policies that take no account of pupils’ – or their parents’ – religion or beliefs.

2. Operate recruitment and employment policies that do not discriminate on the grounds of religion or belief.

3. Follow an objective, fair and balanced syllabus for education about religious and non-religiousbeliefs – whether determined by their local authority or by any future national syllabus or curriculum for RE.

4. Be made accountable under a single inspection regime for RE, Personal, Social & Health Education (PSHE) and Citizenship.

5. Provide their pupils with inclusive, inspiring and stimulating assemblies in place of compulsory acts of worship.

And we commit to work with each other locally and nationally to turn public support for inclusive education into a campaign for reform that the government cannot ignore.

Statistics of belief

The majority of the UK population (50.7%) are non-religious (British Social Attitudes, 2009)

Young People’s Beliefs

...Being a member of their religion is 'very' or 'fairly' important for a third of young people. However a separate question showed that 12% define themselves as 'active believers', 42% as 'believers, but 'rarely attend services' and 44% regard themselves as 'non-believers'. (p13)

36% of 18-34 age group in Britain define themselves as atheist or agnostic

Mori poll for The Tablet, 20/5/05

Only 164,000 children attended Sunday services in 2003, well below the numbers attending Church schools. C of E figures published January 2005

65% young people are not religious. Though religious belief amongst the young has declined by 10% in less than 10 years, moral attitudes have not and fewer young people are racially prejudiced. Young People in Britain : The Attitudes and Experiences of 12-19 Year Olds, a research report for the DfES (2004) - full report is at

25% children describe themselves as atheist and 33% agnostic.

Survey of 29,124 children reported in Eds L J Francis, J Astley and M Robins The Fourth R for the Third Millennium Education in Religion and Values for the Global Future (Lindisfarne Books,2001).

Two thirds of 18 to 24 year-olds did not belong to a religion, compared with only a quarter of those aged over 65. British Social Attitudes Survey, National Centre for Social Research, Nov 2000