Agenda item

Discussion Item 1: Teaching Assistants and Religious Education

Minutes:

The Chairman asked Members to divide into two groups and for each group to discuss one of the discussion topics which were ‘Teaching Assistants and Religious Education’ and ‘Islam in Schools’.

 

Councillor Brookes chaired the discussion group on ‘Teaching Assistants and Religious Education’. He indicated that the Specialist Inspector for Religious Education had provided Members with some background information including the fact that Teaching Assistants often teach Religious Education when teachers have time away from the classroom to prepare and mark. Members expressed concern about the perception of Religious Education in schools as a result of this.

 

Members discussed if there was a difference between church schools and other schools and one Member who had worked in a church school indicated that Religious Education was not always taught by a teacher in church schools.

 

Various issues were discussed including a lack of specialist knowledge of Religious Education in Primary School and the perception of religion in society and the media. It was suggested that Durham Agreed Syllabus could be showed more widely to help various stake holders have a better understanding of Religious Education.