Education not indoctrination: Reassessing the role of religion in our schools

Join our online panel to consider the impact that the recent publication of the Government’s Curriculum and Assessment Review and the ground-breaking Supreme Court ruling in Northern Ireland could have on the role of religion in the UK education system. Our guests will explore the implications for RE content, inclusive assemblies and the place for humanism and non-religious world views. We’ll discuss the practical implications for schools, teacher training, legal precedents, and what reform could mean for social cohesion, understanding, and inclusive education.

Panellists

Caroline Voaden is Member of Parliament for South Devon and Schools Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats. She is the former CEO of Devon Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse services and served as a member of the European Parliament from 2019 to 2020, during which she was the last leader of the Liberal Democrat party in Europe. Prior to this, Caroline worked as a journalist for Reuters, before becoming a freelance editor and a business-owner in Totnes.
 
Lewis Young is Humanists UK's Education Campaigns Manager, and has been in the role since January 2024. His work covers Humanists UK's campaign work on faith in education - whether state-funded, private, or illegal schools, collective worship, RE. Prior to taking on this role Lewis was Communications and Campaigns Manager for a Member of Parliament. He is also a local councillor in Middlesbrough.

Callum Robertson is a teacher, lecturer and policy expert who works with key stakeholders, including the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT), Harris Federation, Future Academies and the Education Policy Institute. He is also the author of a book (Education Policy: a commentary on contemporary education issues) and has two more books in the pipeline. His latest work is focused on curriculum design within PHSE where he leads the training for the NIoT and Future Teacher Training.