Barnardo's Scotland Children and Young People Engagement Report – Religious Observance and Religious Education in Schools

5. Findings

5.1 Experiences

As part of the first workshop, participants were asked about their experiences of RO and RME.

Fig 5 and Fig 6 offer an indication of how participants described RO and RME. These word clouds show the frequency of words used by participants; however, they do not capture the context, strength of feelings or nuance behind those responses. As such, they should be interpreted alongside the qualitative findings presented below.

This word cloud suggests that participants commonly associate RO with participatory and community‑focused activities. Frequently used words such as church, prayer, mass, nativity, and community indicate that many participants link RO with collective worship, services and seasonal events. References to activities such as ‘singing in church’, ‘assemblies’, and ‘taking part’ suggest that participants often experience RO as something practical and communal. Compared with RME, there were fewer references to a range of world religions, which may indicate that participants most often encounter RO through Christian traditions and seasonal celebrations. This reflects the participants’ descriptions rather than a comprehensive account of provision across all schools.

In contrast, participants more often described RME using terms associated with learning and discussion. Words such as ‘learning’, ‘education’, ‘beliefs’, ‘opinions’, and ‘debates’ suggest that many participants experience RME as a classroom based subject involving reflection, discussion and exploration of different perspectives.

References to multiple religions and ethical topics indicate participants associate RME with learning about a range of beliefs and moral issues. The inclusion of both positive and negative descriptors (for example, “interesting” and “boring”) suggests that experiences of RME vary, in a similar way to other curriculum subjects.

5.1.1 Experiences of Religious Observance

Participants across all settings were asked about their experiences of RO in school. Many accounts focused on participation in religious practices or events, including daily/routine prayers, services (mass, Christmas, Easter, term-end) and Reverend/Chaplain involvement.

Examples included:

• “We do prayers in the morning, pray before lunch after lunch and at home time…we have a January prayer, February prayer”
• “Special mass for P7’s before they go to high school”

Young People, Denominational, Primary School

• “I went to church and everyone was singing but I did not know the song”
• “Went to Remembrance Day at the church…it was very cold [on behalf of the school]”

Young People, Non-Denominational, Primary School

• “every time I go to mass I learn something new”
• “we have a chaplain in school”

Young People, Denominational, Secondary School

• “Mini market for Ramadan / Islam”
• “Can opt out by not partaking in prayers, went because of an outing, going with friends to church but didn’t partake, go home and practice own faith. I am Hindu, we are all equal, even if they don’t respect”
• “Allows you to have practical experience learning about the religion”

Young People, Non-Denominational, Secondary School

• “don’t agree [that it is observance] as you do learn from the stories that the vicar tells”

Young Person, Community Group

Many participants who experienced RO in school spoke positively about whole-school events, particularly where these created a sense of school community:

• “if there is only a few people [doing religious observance] it doesn’t feel as spiritual, whole community coming together even if they are different religions”

Young Person, Denominational, Secondary School

• “whole school events – remembrance service, Easter Service. Reverend attends Christmas concert”

Young Person, Non-Denominational, Secondary School

However, some participants described less positive experiences. A number of participants raised concerns about feeling pressure to take part or discomfort where activities did not align with their own beliefs or home experiences:

• “I feel like I have to cause my granny is religious and my mum can’t say no”
• “You shouldn’t be made to pray”

Young People, Non-Denominational, Primary School

• “Practising religious practices that you wouldn’t take part in at home out with school”
• “If the child doesn’t want to / doesn’t believe in views, it may feel they are betraying their own religion”

Young People, Non-Denominational, Secondary School

• “Mum wanted to remove me, but communication wasn't great. It felt like get into church and shut up”

Young Person, Community Group

Some participants also described school-based RO as repetitive or lengthy:

• “We aren’t learning anything new if it’s the same thing”

Young Person, Non-Denominational, Primary School

• “You have to sit for a long amount of time”
• “Services can be long”
• “We learn the same Easter story EVERY YEAR and its boring”

Young People, Non-Denominational, Secondary School

• “have a vicar from the school come to school, to tell stories… sometimes interesting, can be a bit long”

Young Person, Community Group

There were some differences in how participants described RO across settings. Participants reflecting on both denominational and non-denominational primary school experiences more often described frequent and structured activities such as regular prayers and services (e.g., prayers, mass):

• “we do prayers in the morning, pray before lunch after lunch and at home time…we have a January prayer, February prayer”

Young Person, Denominational, Primary School

• “we have a Christmas service, minister visits, P1s do a nativity, sometimes to prayers in services”
• “In primary school we had stuff like that, we had a minister”

Young People, Non-Denominational, Secondary School

In contrast, participants in secondary settings more often described less frequent participation, or participation that was more dependent on individual choice.

Differences were also noted between denominational and non-denominational schools. Participants in denominational schools more often described RO as a regular and embedded part of school life:

• “Special mass for P7s before they go to high school”

Young Person, Denominational, Primary School

• “Attending mass as a school”
• “Get the Tanoy every morning, not part of the curriculum”

Young People, Denominational Secondary School

Participants in denominational schools often described a sense of belonging, community and seeing value in shared practices:

• “like joining in, feel interested in the things, learning new things”
• “learning about prayers and interpreting them at the same time you are doing it”
• “How I can communicate and feel like I belong because I am Catholic”

Young People, Denominational, Primary School

• “in a RC school, should be able to come and learn about Catholicism”
• “‘caritas awards’ – ‘[is about] learning about your own religion, this could be Hinduism’ ‘part of our award is buddying someone in the lower years”
• “did pilgrimage to St Andrews cathedral and learn about Christianity”
• “community, probably the biggest one…coming to celebrate and take part”
• “community doesn’t just mean coming from different places but learning about new things together”

Young People, Denominational, Secondary School

In non-denominational settings, participants more often described RO as occasional (for example, seasonal services), with some participants reporting limited or no experience of RO beyond Christmas services. Some also described opting out or feeling uncomfortable, while others highlighted enjoyment of the activity-based aspects of RO:

• “prayer, twice a year services in church, sing Christian songs, nativity below P4”
• “I like when minister comes in”
• “like singing hymns”
• “I like doing nativity’s because their really fun”

Young People, Non-Denominational, Primary School

• “Don’t have it here but we did have it in primary school”
• “taken out of religious stuff, it was [my] parents’ choice, when they were reading the bible, when I came to high school it was my choice”
• “If you have the right to withdraw its good because you might be of a different religion and feel uncomfortable.”
• “Forced to go to church there were people in my school were different religions”

Young People, Non-Denominational, Secondary School

• “in the nativity I was a sheep”

Young Person, Community Group

Overall, participants’ experiences of RO varied widely, including both positive accounts of community and participation, and more mixed views relating to relevance, repetition and alignment with personal beliefs.

5.1.2 Experiences of Religious and Moral Education

Many participants described RME as providing opportunities to learn about a range of religions, beliefs and practices. This included reference to Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, Hinduism and Christianity.

Participants often highlighted the value of learning about different perspectives and ways of life:

• “like sharing ideas and learn about how others do things”

Young Person, Denominational, Primary School

• “different types of religion, learn who is the main character of the bible, learn stories and other main characters, what other religions believe in and what their stories are, celebrations”
• “It feels good to learn about other people’s religion and beliefs. When I think about RME, the first thing I think about is where do they worship their lord?”
• “When I think of RME, I think about Christianity, Buddhism, Jewism [Judaism] and Sikhism”

Young People, Non-Denominational Primary School

• “Interfaith week, we have a passport, Judaism, Sikhism, things from religion and things what you would use them for…”
• “good opportunities to learn about how different people believe, won’t always agree on opinions”

Young People, Denominational, Secondary School

• “Christian, Atheist, Buddhism, Hinduism”

Young person, Non-Denominational, Secondary School

Some participants also described RME as a space for exploring ethical or moral issues, which they saw as relevant to everyday life:

• “Moral lessons are important – learning what’s good and bad”
• “Important to learn about moral issues as gains greater awareness of world beliefs”
• “Learn about ethical/moral issues, learned about the train tracks”

Young People, Non-Denominational, Secondary School

Participants referred to interactive teaching approaches, such as debates, discussions, quizzes, and use of digital tools, as contributing positively to their experience. Experiential learning opportunities, such as visits to places of worship of hands-on activities, were also mentioned positively:

• “Learning about it is fun’ use iPad ‘use fun quizzes, we did a quiz about different religions, we didn’t know anything and at the end [we knew more]”
• “We get to do multiple activities about RE, at primary school we just did writing”

Young People, Denominational, Secondary School

• “The S1’s went to a Gurdwara, went to visit the cathedral, tried some of the food and some of the practices”
• “‘Like the way that RME is taught, get debates, the only other subject we get debates is modern studies, it is opinion based and interactive”

Young People, Non-Denominational, Secondary School

• “…it’s fun to learn about different religions and views about religions”

Young Person, Community Group

However, as with RO, some participants described less positive experiences. A number of participants mentioned repetition of topics, which could lead to disengagement. Some participants also questioned the relevance of RME where they did not identify as religious:

• “I don’t like it when we talk about things I already know and repeating things from last year or two”

Young Person, Denominational, Primary School

• “It can get boring”

Young People, Non-Denominational , Primary School

• “Can be boring if not interested”

Young Person, Non-Denominational, Secondary School

• “Didn't understand the value because my family were not religious. Shouldn't be the default but should be an option. Should be handed to you - 'do you want to do this'”

Young People, Community Group

A small number of participants also linked their experience to individual learning needs, including where classroom structure or delivery did not suit them.

• “Didn't like religious education, neurodiversity, have a lot of energy and need to walk around”
• “is boring, have a bad teacher, [I want to say to them] make your lessons more fun!”

Young People, Community Group

Overall, participants described a mix of experiences of RME, with many valuing opportunities to learn about different beliefs and discuss ethical issues, while others highlighted variability in engagement depending on content and personal beliefs.

Despite their differences, there were key themes consistent across RO and RME. The importance of respecting all beliefs and young people’s own beliefs being recognised was consistent across both RO and RME as well as an interest in other religions and cultures. Mixed levels of engagement across both were also consistent, as well as influence of teachers, with enthusiastic, personable and interactive teachers enhancing both RO and RME.

5.2 Theme 1 – ‘It should be your choice’

Within the first secondary workshop, young people were asked whether parents should continue to have the right to withdraw children from RO and RME without the child's consent (see Fig 8).

Should parents continue to have the right to withdraw children from RO and RME (without the child's consent)?

Among those who completed this activity, most participants indicated that they did not think parents should have this right, with a slightly higher proportion expressing this view in relation to RME than RO. A smaller group supported parents keeping this right, this was slightly higher for RO than RME. A notable proportion were unsure, especially regarding RO.

Across the wider engagement, many participants expressed the view that children and young people should have a degree of choice in whether they participate in RO and RME. This was often framed in terms of fairness and the importance of being able to express personal views, especially where participation may not align with their own beliefs or preferences. Other participants drew comparisons with other areas of the curriculum, suggesting that RME should not be treated differently from other subjects:

• “more than 100% it should be the child’s decision, unless your parent works in the school and sees what you do in RE, [then it should be the child who decides]”
• “if parents said I couldn’t do it and I really wanted to I would be really upset”
• “It is not just prayers ‘someone could be looking at the other young people [taking part] feel sad and upset”
• “if they are going to be separated [from their class] then the young persons view should be heard”

Young People, Denominational, Primary School

• “They shouldn’t because if parents can’t take a child out of maths, then why RME?”
• “Child has own opinion, if they want to learn, has to respect what the child wants to learn”
• “Child should have the right to explore different religions and decide for themselves”

Young People, Denominational, Secondary School

• “Parents shouldn’t have the right as you have the right to education – they don’t get to choose”
• “Your parents should not be doing this without asking you! Say if you want to do it but your parents said no that’s a downfall for you because they didn’t ask you before making the decision”
• “Child is their own person, should get their own views”

Young People, Non-Denominational, Secondary School

• “It's my education”
• “The whole point is to educate students, they should choose, it would make time at school more enjoyable. It could cause strain family relationships if you make them do something they don't want to”

Young People, Community Group

Ae smaller number of participants were comfortable with parents retaining decision-making responsibility. These views were often linked to perceptions of age, maturity or parental authority and concerns about whether children and young people have sufficient experience or understanding to make decisions independently:

• “I would let my parents choose if I should or not, but other people might think otherwise”

Young Person, Denominational, Primary School

• “Parents should continue to have the right ‘because they are adults and they are smarter and kids will make dumb choices”

Young Person, Denominational, Secondary School

• “I think it should be the parent’s choice because you’re not 18 yet”

Young Person, Non-Denominational, Primary School

• “I might just choose Islam just now but your brain isn’t fully formed till you’re 25 so I shouldn’t make that choice just now”

Young Person, Non-Denominational, Primary School

There were some differences in how this issue was framed across settings. In the denominational schools, views on choice were sometimes discussed alongside the role of parental faith, tradition and the ethos of the schools. In these cases, participants more often described the need to balance individual choice with the expectations associated with attending a faith based school:

• “not bad its bad and good, if you don’t like studying this type of thing it is fine, but if you are catholic and you’re going to [catholic secondary school] you should let the child decide”

Young Person, Denominational, Primary School

In non-denominational schools, discussions more frequently focused on rights, fairness and autonomy:

• “They don’t have the right if they are withdrawing with no reasoning. It is our education; therefore, it is our choice if we want to take part or not”

Young Person, Non-Denominational, Primary

Overall, while many participants supported greater involvement of children and young people in decisions about participation in RO and RME, there remained a range of views on the appropriate balance between parental responsibility and children and young people’s autonomy.

5.3 Theme 2 – Joint Decision Making

While the proposed changes focus on ensuring that children and young people’s views are considered in decisions about withdrawal from RO or RME, participants across a range of settings described a preference for decision-making processes that involves discussion, negotiation and joint decision making. This was often described in terms of having a “balanced conversation” or involving a “trusted adult” to help facilitate discussions.

Activities exploring who young people would speak to if they disagreed with their parents (see Fig 9 and Fig 10) suggest that school-based adults, particularly teachers and pastoral staff, were commonly identified as sources of support.

Who would you speak to if you disagreed with your parents about their choice to withdraw you from RO or RME?

From these activities it was clear that beyond wanting personal choice, young people want space for balanced discussions involving parents, teachers and themselves. They value opportunities to share views in a neutral, supportive environment and

would like teachers (especially pastoral staff or RME teachers) to support communication.

Who pupils would speak to if they disagreed with their parents withdrawing them from RO or RME

Participants highlighted different reasons for choosing particular individuals:

Teachers were seen as knowledgeable and able to explain both the subject and the young person’s perspectives to parents:

• “RMPS [teacher] would have the most knowledge about it if you have any doubts about the subject” (Young Person, Non-Denominational, Secondary School)“I feel really comfortable talking with my RE teacher” (Young Person, Denominational, Secondary School)
• “Parents and teachers are there to help and guide you. The teacher could explain to the parent what the child wants” (Young Person, Non-Denominational, Primary School)

Headteachers were viewed as good listeners:

• “The headteacher would listen to your opinions” (Young Person, Denominational, Secondary School)
• “Our headteacher listens to us” (Young Person, Non-Denominational, Primary School)

Pastoral staff were described as more approachable and better placed to understand personal circumstances:

• “You would expect the pastoral teacher to be responsible, supposed to know you, things like mental health, more personally” (Young Person, Non-Denominational, Secondary School)
• “Think you have more trust in your pastoral teacher, sit down with you and talk about it” (Young Person, Non-Denominational, Secondary)

Family members were seen as important for discussion, even where participants did not think they should make the final decision:

• “unsure, not that I think [parents] should make the decision but should again be a discussion with parents” (Young Person, Denominational, Secondary School)
• “it shouldn’t be a right for parents but they should have an opinion” (Young Person, Denominational, Secondary School)
• “I would want a conversation with my parents, hoping they would understand my views” (Young Person, Denominational, Secondary School)

Friends were seen as easier to communicate with:

• “friend first because you might not be comfortable telling a teacher” (Young Person, Denominational, Secondary School)
• “You can talk to a classmate or a friend more freely.” (Young Person, Non-Denominational, Primary School)

Across these discussions, many participants emphasised the importance of feeling listened to and taken seriously. Common themes included:

• wanting their opinions to be valued in decisions about RME/RO participation
• a desire to be listened to without interruption
• frustration when adults make decisions about them without their input
• wanting discussions to feel fair and free from pressure

Menti responses from image above:

Question: What would make you feel listened to and respected in that process?

• They add on to your opinion
• Listen share opinion and come up with solutions
• If my teacher took my opinion and my reasons why and helped my parents understand
• They agreeing with your opinion and disagreeing with some
• Agreed with our opinion
• They can try to do the best they can to have your point of view heard
• For me to feel listened to I need them just to listen
• They could sit me down and view everyone’s opinions and perhaps make parents see our point of view about how much we love and need re and how much it is a valid subject that many love and need for the

Participants also described what meaningful participation would look like in practice. This information was gathered through conversations and Mentimeters (see Fig 11) and included being given time to explain their views and seeing their views reflected in decisions:

• “You’d want your opinions to be listened to and not have parents’ views forced onto you. You don’t want your choices ignored”
• “You want information not influence, slow with thinking”
• “Respecting the law”
• '‘Not thinking I don’t know about religion”
• “Answering my questions, interacting, looking at you”

Young People, Non-Denominational, Primary School

• “Agreeing- listening and respecting ‘actually thought of it and agree because they have listened to you and respected you to make you feel like you have a choice”
• “listening, body language, hear me out and then put it into action.”
• “maybe instead of shoving their opinions, asking questions and listening to the child’s opinions”

Young People, Denominational, Secondary School

• “Listening means ‘a proper response back and not just that we won’t be doing it”

Young Person, Non-Denominational, Secondary School

• “[Adults] Fit you into the schedule, that they would pay attention”
• “If they would listen and not interrupt or yell at me”
• “Maybe have a council of people to talk too with different perspectives”
• “Knowing you could have the discussion, knowing it was your choice…”

Young People, Community Group

One young person in a community group said the following, which was also highlighted and agreed upon by the steering group:

“Be reasonable, 1. Be calm 2. sit down, grab a seat 3. No aggression 4. No frustration 5. Listening. Feel if your voice is heard, you feel nice, some teachers are just not reasonable at all”

However, not all participants were in favour of shared decision making. A small number expressed a preference for making decisions independently, particularly where they were concerned about pressure from family members or the consequences of any disagreement:

• “I think that the parents should be out of the room so that the child could make a decision without pressure”
• “You could get in trouble from your parents if you decide to do RE and your parents don’t want you to do it”

Young People, Denominational, Primary School

• “Do parents get to know? Maybe this would cause disagreements.”

Young Person, Community Group

These perspectives highlight that, while many participants supported collaborative approaches, there are also sensitivities around family dynamics and differing beliefs that may affect how decisions are experienced in practice.

5.4 Theme 3 – Dependent on age and reason

Participants discussed both when children and young people should be involved in decisions about participation in RO and RME, and what reasons should be considered when choosing whether to opt in or out. These discussions were explored through workshop activities, including timelines (secondary) and “decision-making machines” (primary, see figure 12).

Across settings, many participants felt that the reasons for opting out (or in) were an important factor in decision making. Some distinguished between reasons linked to personal beliefs and those seen as less appropriate, such as avoiding schoolwork:

• “It depends on what reason the parents have, if there isn’t a reason then they do not have the right”
• “Are they just wanting to be removed to get out of doing more work?”

Young People, Non-Denominational, Primary School

• “You would be able to stand up for your beliefs e.g. if you’re atheist you can choose not to take part”
• “In primary RO is Christianity and you have no idea it’s optional – that’s not clarified. Once in high school RE helps to make decisions on our beliefs”
• “Your religion would be a valid reason, not liking teacher isn’t a valid reason or that you just don’t like it because it should be something you learn because it makes you tolerant”

Young People, Non- Denominational, Secondary School

• “It shouldn't be just a free way out of class, they should find some other work, not fun stuff, that they need to do”

Young Person, Community Group

Participants often described belief-based reasons, such as identifying with a religion or being an atheist, as valid grounds for making decisions about participation. Some also emphasised that participation in RME was important for learning about different beliefs, and therefore should not be avoided without good reason.

A small number of participants suggested that schools could take a more structured approach to understand pupils’ views - for example, by gathering feedback from pupils about RME content and participation via a survey – to better understand motivations for opting in or out.

Participants also discussed the role of age in decision making. Many suggested that decision making ability develops over time, with younger children less likely to have the understanding to make fully informed decisions independently.

• “Yes, it makes a difference – you don’t understand topics like this when you’re younger. Roughly 11+ you understand”
• “9 or over primary 3 or 4 is a good age to make decisions, however, Primary 1 is too young so parents should make decisions at that age”

Young People, Non-Denominational, Primary School

• “depends on the year group S1-S2, maybe less able to have opinion because you are really young and parent should have more of a say than the child”

Young Person, Denominational, Secondary

• “once you’re at high school you have better mental capacity”
• “Age 5 too young as ‘no experience to make informed decision”

Young People, Non-Denominational, Secondary

However, there was no clear consensus on age thresholds. While some participants suggested particular ages (for example, late primary or early secondary), others emphasised that age alone is not always the best indicator for when a child should be involved in decision-making:

• ‘‘I think any age but sometimes if they are little the teacher should explain it to them so it can be their choice”
• “in P1 there aren’t as many words in your word bank to explain what you think…teachers should try and help them make the decision…you have the right no matter the age to get involved in the decision”
• “You shouldn’t judge people off their age – older people would be wrong if they said younger children were too young to decide”
• “at 5 or 6 they don’t know any of the stuff, they don’t learn about it, when you know more about it at high school you can make the decision”

Young People, Denominational, Primary

• “I think I could make the decision but it could be a hard decision”
• “When you get into high school it should be your choice. When you are younger you don’t have a full understanding to make this decision and should be your parents’ decision”
• “Age doesn’t make a difference on making decisions”

Young People, Non-Denominational, Primary School

• “I had the choice in P1 to go to church… and I [felt] could make that choice”
• “Ask each school year – your views can change”
• “its not always age, it’s maturity level and whether the reason is valid”
• “My sister is 10 and she could have made the decision in p3 as she was part of pupil parliament”

Young People, Non-Denominational, Secondary School

Many participants highlighted that maturity, understanding, and the support available to children and young people may be more important than age alone. In particular, some felt that even younger children should be involved in decisions, provided they are supported to understand the issues. However, participants also highlighted that views may change as children and young people grow older and gain more experiences. As a result, some suggested that participation should not be treated as fixed, but revisited over time:

• “you can take them out but ask them again, you should explain it to them even when they are young and let them make small decisions”
• “8,9,10, if your parents have made the decision when you are younger you should ask them again when they are older”

Young People, Denominational, Primary School

• “I had the decision and I said I didn’t want to, they asked again when I was 11 and I said I wanted to go because I understood more and knew that RE as a subject lets you understand other people’s views”

Young Person, Non-Denominational, Secondary School

• “Should be entirely up to the child, however do you have to inform the parents and will they disagree and cause conflict ? It is not dependent on a single thing”

Young Person, Community Group

5.5 Theme 4 – RME is important

Across all settings and activities, many participants described RME as an important and valuable part of their learning. Participants frequently referred to its role in helping them understand the world and different beliefs, develop respect for others, and explore moral and ethical issues.

Participants often distinguished between RME and RO. While some expressed mixed or negative views about participation in RO, many emphasised that learning about religion and beliefs through RME was important and should not be limited by parents’ beliefs. In this context, some participants suggested that being withdrawn from RME – particularly without their involvement – could reduce opportunities to develop understanding of different cultures and perspectives.

Participants described a range of perceived benefits of RME including developing awareness, respect and global understanding, and supporting inclusion:

• “We must learn about different religions anyway to respect people; therefore, parents shouldn’t have the right”
• “Important to learn about more religions, Every religion should be equal”
• “If I moved to a different country, I would know what is respectful there”

Young People, Non-Denominational, Primary School

• “If you don’t learn about religions, you could turn out a bit stubborn to other religions”
• “It’s quite different to other studies and broadens your mind and think at a deeper level”
• “RE is quite important, you learn about different religions, not everyone supports the same religion, learn about peoples personality, what different things they wear, main points about the religion that you can understand”
• “not enforced, but it should be promoted…there is a lot of discrimination in the world”
• “There is a difference between observance and RME – you shouldn’t be taken out of learning its similar to maths”
• “I think RO is different because it’s the doing. You might not feel comfortable praying so you shouldn’t be made to but RE it’s important you at least have an understanding”

Young People, Non-Denominational, Secondary School

Participants also considered how this may impact their futures if they were withdrawn from RME without their consent:

• “Could impact on your future career, like being a missionary”

Young Person, Non-Denominational, Primary School

• “What your get for your future, not just what your learn but your skills”

Young Person, Denominational, Secondary School

• “it is important to understand others especially for life skills if you went to work in hospitality or care – you need to understand all people”

Young Person, Non-Denominational, Secondary School

Overall, many participants viewed RME as an important part of the curriculum, particularly in supporting understanding of different beliefs and perspectives.