6th November 2013 9:00
By Blue Tutors
Religious Studies experts in England have expressed concerns that the subject is being increasingly marginalised in schools, with poor teaching and few opportunities for students to learn about multiple faiths. Their report called for a national framework for the teaching of the subject, and specialised teacher training. Their investigation follows Ofsted reports which suggest that RS is not being taught to an acceptable standard in the majority of schools. In the private tutoring world, this is not a subject that many people require tuition in, with most choosing to focus on English, Science and Maths, especially at Key stage 3 and GCSE.
However, even if we are not being hired to directly tutor RS, there is much that tutors who teach arts subjects can do to encourage interest in other faiths and the religious and social issues which are prevalent in our society. Sociology tuition is a very good place to start ensuring that students not only have a good knowledge of the multiple faiths which exist in the UK and around the world, but can also be an excellent platform for students to think about issues which underpin faith. Whilst it may seem to many students that religious studies is not relevant to the issues they are grappling with, a broad education in sociology can help them understand the history of the church and state and the relationships between different religious communities living in the UK today.
However, it is not just the job of Sociology tutors to make religion a key part of their students’ studies. Religion plays a significant part of many aspects of society, and has been crucial to the formation of the modern world. As such, History and English tutors must also ensure that the topic is properly covered during their lessons. It is critical that English literature tutors ensure that their students have an appropriate background knowledge of the politics, economics and religious aspects which inform the tests with which they are engaging. Similarly, history students must learn to place the issues they are studying in their broader social context in order to gain a fuller understanding of the social forces at work. Improving the teaching of RS in schools is something that the government must tackle, but on the home front, tutors can do much to ensure that this vital topic is not lost from their lessons.