The professionalisation of non-denominational religious education in England: politics, organisation and knowledge

Abstract

In response to contemporary concerns, and using neglected primary sources, this article explores the professionalisation of teachers of Religious Education (RI/RE) in nondenominational, state-maintained schools in England. It does so from the launch of Religion in Education (1934) and the Institute for Christian Education at Home and Abroad (1935) to the founding of the Religious Education Council of England and Wales (1973) and the British Journal of Religious Education (1978). Professionalisation is defined as a collective historical process in terms of three inter-related concepts: (1) professional self-organisation and professional politics, (2) professional knowledge, and (3) initial and continuing professional development. The article sketches the history of non-denominational religious education prior to the focus period, to contextualise the emergence of the professionalising processes under scrutiny. Professional self-organisation and professional politics are explored by reconstructing the origins and history of the Institute of Christian Education at Home and Abroad, which became the principal body offering professional development provision for RI/RE teachers for some fifty years. Professional knowledge is discussed in relation to the content of Religion in Education which was oriented around Christian Idealism and interdenominational networking. Changes in journal name in the 1960s and 1970s reflected uncertainties about the orientation of the subject and shifts in understanding over the nature and character of professional knowledge. The article also explores a particular case of resistance, in the late 1960s, to the prevailing consensus surrounding the nature and purpose of RI/RE, and the representativeness and authority of the pre-eminent professional body of the time. In conclusion, the article examines some implications which may be drawn from this history for the prospects and problems of the professionalisation of RE today.

The Professionalization of Teachers of RE in England: A Case Study

“…spiritual and moral development), and the ethos and character of schools, where these impact upon the professionality and professionalization of teachers of RE. As we have shown previously (Parker et al 2016), for much of the twentieth century, RE was intimately connected to other elements of the curriculum, work and life of schools. In the 1944 Education Act, for example, 'religious education' referred to the combination of Collective Worship and the curriculum subject called Religious Instruction (RI).…”

“…By way of exemplification, in previous publications (e.g. Freathy et al 2014;Parker et al 2016) we applied the constituent elements of professional knowledge (as described in the preceding chapter) in analyses of Religion in Education (RiE). This journal was launched in 1934 by the Student Christian Movement, as a forum for promoting dialogue about religion in education, both promoting and reflecting the growing professionalism among religious educators through campaigns for better staffing, curriculum resources and teacher training.…”

“…It became affiliated to the ecumenical Institute of Christian Education at Home and Abroad (ICE) (est. 1935) (Parker et al 2016), which provided an organizational structure for cohering and developing the profession, and RiE provided the means for defining and disseminating professional knowledge. The multi-denominational editorial board of RiE was derived from schools, teacher-training colleges, universities, churches, the Student Christian Movement, the ICE, and Government.…”

Farmer collectives for more effective agri-environmental schemes? An assessment framework based on the concept of ‘professionalization’

“…After that, the qualifications of the different occupations are defined: for example, knowledge, skills, competences, experience and credentials (e.g. code of ethics, licence, MSc or BSc degree) (Curnow & McGonigle, 2006;Freathy et al, 2016;Gornitzka & Larsen, 2004;Parker et al, 2016;Thomas & Thomas, 2013).…”

Religion and Education: Framing and Mapping a Field

“…Interestingly, as early as the first issues of this journal, psychological insights were being drawn upon to inform approaches to religious education. Somewhat later, in the British context, the journal Religion and Education, first published in 1934, also became a vehicle for the discussion and dissemination of ideas around Christian education, the relationship to the broader Christian mission, the kinds of organisational bodies and networks which might enable Christian religious education to happen, and how religious education in schools might be effectively taught (Parker, Freathy and Doney, 2016). Predominantly then, these early journals of R&E were concerned to build insights into the effective means by which religious education in schools, seen as an aspect of Christian mission within a society thought to be broadly Christian in nature, could and should be taught.…”