specialist teacher recruitment<\/a> after a fall in the number of students taking A level Religious Studies (RS).\u00a0<\/p>\nThe Religious Education Council of England and Wales (REC) and\u00a0National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE) have issued a joint warning after RS A level exam entries fell by 3.5 per cent in England, and 24 per cent in Wales.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The RS A level was taken by 14,690 students in England this year, down from 15,216 in 2022. In Wales, there were 748 entries in 2023, compared with 982 last year.<\/p>\n
The fall has concerned the REC and NATRE after decades of growth in entries to the subject, up\u00a039 per cent between 2003 and 2022.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They are warning that a shortage of specialist teachers in the subject has left some schools struggling to offer the subject at A level.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Regions particularly affected by the shortage include the Midlands and North East.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The shortages are the inspiration for a recently launched campaign to create a new generation of RE teachers.<\/p>\n
NATRE has called the teacher shortages “a travesty”.\u00a0<\/p>\n
NATRE Chair, Katie Freeman said: “Despite this dip in entries, A level RS continues to be a very popular choice at A level, being both personally enriching and intellectually challenging. RS A level teachers are highly trained professionals, managing classroom debates on sensitive ethical and theological issues that continue to inform the modern world.<\/p>\n
“To be in a situation where students are not able to take Religious Studies at an advanced level is a real travesty, denying many young people an opportunity to partake in a subject that has opened up a world of opportunities in higher education, their personal lives and the world of work.”<\/p>\n
Sarah Lane Cawte, REC Chair said: “These results show the really concerning impact that teacher retention and recruitment is having on the subject.<\/p>\n
“For the last two decades, A level Religious Studies has been a success story with growing numbers of entries and impressive results that have opened up a world of opportunity, particularly for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, providing them with access to top universities and careers in law, journalism and teaching.<\/p>\n
“That legacy is now threatened. A teacher training bursary and a fair allocation of resources to the subject would help reverse this trend and ensure RE continues to thrive as it has done for the last decades.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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