Minutes:
The Chair added that on behalf of SACRE he wished to congratulate K Passmore on her recent appointment to Regional Lead, for the new RE Hubs project. He added that her role as Lead would provide an excellent opportunity for Durham SACRE to engage with various RE networks and felt that it was a really positive outcome for Durham and raising the profile of SACRE.
In thanking the Chair, K Passmore provided an insight into the intended aims of the hub, noting that the tentative project was supported by a number of funders, and its first task was to develop and populate a well-resourced and up to date Regional Hub website, facilitating information and knowledge exchange which would provide a kite mark for speakers of faith on a national level which was something that hadn’t been offered before.
The Chair went on to highlight that it was well acknowledged that there were insufficient RE specialists to meet demand in schools and recruitment targets were falling well short in this area both locally and nationally. He therefore respectfully asked members of SACRE to write to government regarding the supply of RE teachers and the lack of initial teacher training bursaries for trainee teachers of RE in order to lobby government to review this matter.
Linked to the above the Chair noted a recent debate which had taken place in parliament brought forward by Martin Vickers MP, regarding RE in Modern Britain. His speech which was available to view in full at www.ukpol.co.uk and called for a national plan for RE to ensure that government money was spent on RE projects.
Resolved:
That the Chairs update be noted.