I WRITE on behalf of the national executive of the Association of RE Advisers, Inspectors and Consultants to express concern at the misleading suggestion (TES, May 7) that the position of religious education is under threat from the literacy hour.
RE is in the core curriculum; its status and the responsibility to meet statutory requirements remain unchanged.
While we agree that Biblical material, skilfully used and properly contextualised, certainly enriches pupils’ literacy development and may, in the appropriate circumstances, be a resource for the literacy hour, it is incorrect to state that such practice should protect RE’s place in the primary curriculum. Neither the use of the Bible (or any other sacred writing) nor RE itself need to be justified in such terms.
Julie Grove, AREIAC, 53 Cromwell Road, London SW7.
