ITEM EX9
EXECUTIVE
– 14 MAY 2002
STANDING
ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (SACRE)
Report by
Acting Chief Education Officer
Introduction
- All local education
authorities (LEAs) are required to set up a SACRE. The legislation (currently,
Part V of the Education Act 1996) requires that the SACRE be composed
of persons representing the following four separate groups:
- Christian denominations
(other than Anglican), other religions and denominations of such religions
as in the opinion of the authority will appropriately reflect the
principal religious traditions in the area.
- The Church of
England.
- Associations
representing teachers.
- The LEA itself.
- Where relevant,
the SACRE must also include a person appointed by the governing bodies
of those grant-maintained schools in the area (if any) which were formally
LEA or controlled schools. In addition, there can be co-opted members
and observers.
The Oxfordshire SACRE
- The Oxfordshire
SACRE was first set up in 1989. The then Education Committee determined
which religious groups, denominations and organisations should have
a place in Group A, and the number of representatives for each of the
four groups. Taking into account subsequent changes, the current membership
of the Oxfordshire SACRE is:
Group
A: Buddhism (1), Hinduism (1); Islam (1), Judaism (1), Sikhism (1),
Methodist (1), Baptist (1), Roman Catholic (2), Oxfordshire Community
Churches (1), Religious Society of Friends (1), Christian Orthodox Churches
(1), United Reformed Churches (1), Humanism (1)
Group
B: Church of England representatives (4)
Group
C: 3 Teachers (2 secondary, 1 primary)
Group
D: 3 County Councillors
Co-opted:
Baha’i
- Also attending,
with observer status, are representatives of the Oxfordshire Secondary
Heads Association, the Oxfordshire Primary Heads Association, and the
Zoroastrians. Officer support is provided by a representative of the
(Acting) Chief Education Officer, Schools Adviser RE, and an administrator.
The Functions of SACRE
- Essentially, a
SACRE supports the effective provision of Religious Education and collective
worship in schools. Unlike all other subjects, RE is not determined
nationally but is the responsibility of the LEA. A SACRE’s main function
is "to advise the local education authority upon such matters connected
with religious worship in county schools and the religious education
to be given in accordance with an agreed syllabus as the authority may
refer to the council or as the council may see fit" (Education
Act 1996, S391). This includes methods of teaching, the choice of materials
and the provision of training for teachers.
- In addition, the
SACRE must consider any application made by the headteacher of a school
when (s)he believes that the legal requirements for collective worship
to be "wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character"
are inappropriate for some or all of the pupils in that particular school.
- The RE curriculum
is delivered through an "Agreed Syllabus", a legal document
stipulating what is required to be taught in schools (except Church
Aided Schools, who are not bound to follow the agreed syllabus but may
choose to do so if they so wish). Every five years the LEA is required
to review its agreed syllabus, but any of the representative groups
on the SACRE (other than the LEA Group) can require the LEA to review
the syllabus at any time.
- For the purpose
of any review of the agreed syllabus, the LEA must set up a conference
to advise them. The conference is similarly constituted as the SACRE,
with the representative groups set up as "committees" which
is how those groups are normally referred to.
Change in SACRE Constitution
- At recent meetings
of the Oxfordshire SACRE, members have discussed the important role
of the teacher representatives, who seek to speak on behalf of teachers
from all phases of schools. In the light of the new Foundation Stage
of education, SACRE members recommended the teachers’ group should be
increased from three to four and that the additional representative
should be from the primary sector.
- This recommendation
was not initiated by the teachers’ group themselves, although it is
supported by them and is unanimously endorsed by all members of the
SACRE. A change is now required in the SACRE Constitution for this recommendation
to be implemented.
RECOMMENDATION
- The Executive
is RECOMMENDED to agree an increase in the teacher representatives on
the Oxfordshire SACRE from three to four, on the basis that this will
enable the inclusion of an additional primary school teacher.
ROY
SMITH
Acting Chief
Education Officer
Background
Papers: Nil
Contact
Officer: Isobel Vale, Schools Adviser, RE Specialist. Tel: Oxford
428072
May
2002
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