Why religious education cannot be optional

Religious Education occupies a curious place in public life. It is endlessly debated, poorly understood and easily sidelined. Although it asks some of the biggest questions pupils will face at school, it is increasingly treated as though it matters least. That neglect is no longer abstract. It is now playing out in courts and classrooms, forcing schools to defend a subject many still fail to take seriously.

In the North, Religious Education became the subject of legal proceedings towards the end of 2025. In Scotland, where I do much of my work, there have been calls to allow children to opt out of RE altogether. It is hard to imagine similar proposals being made for Science, Mathematics or History. Yet when it comes to Religious Education it is different. This points to a deeper problem—a failure to recognise its educational and human value.

This should concern Catholics.

In Catholic schools, Religious Education holds a central and defining place. While it is taught as a discrete subject, it is also expected to shape the wider life of the school”

Properly understood and taught, Religious Education is not an optional extra. It helps young people make sense of the world, of themselves and of the moral and spiritual questions that shape their lives. At its best, RE stretches the intellect through serious engagement with belief, tradition and worldview. It also forms habits of mind and heart, including ethical reasoning, empathy, interpretation, enquiry and dialogue.

And this is not wishful thinking. Through my involvement in university admissions, I have seen a steady rise in school leavers presenting certificated Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies as part of their application for undergraduate study. Far from being a soft option, it is often chosen because it demands depth, reflection and sustained critical thought.

In Catholic schools, Religious Education holds a central and defining place. While it is taught as a discrete subject, it is also expected to shape the wider life of the school, its relationships, priorities and sense of purpose. In that sense, RE does not simply sit as part of the curriculum. It gives it coherence.

Permeation

This is sometimes described as ‘permeation’, and it is often misunderstood. It does not mean all pupils are expected to share the same beliefs, nor that non-Catholic pupils are sidelined. Catholic schools have long educated pupils from a range of faith backgrounds and none. Properly taught, Religious Education creates a shared space for learning, reflection and dialogue. The aim is not conformity, but ‘understanding’ — understanding of the Catholic tradition that underpins the school and of the wider moral and religious landscape young people must navigate.

At its best, Religious Education equips pupils, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, to engage seriously with questions of faith, belief and meaning. For Catholic pupils, this means coming to know their tradition in a way that moves beyond inheritance or assumption. For others, it offers an encounter with Catholic belief that respects conscience and encourages understanding.

Claims that Catholic schools indoctrinate pupils miss the point entirely. Indoctrination shuts down questioning. Authentic Religious Education depends upon it. It treats young people as thinkers and moral agents, capable of enquiry, challenge and reflection.

Religious Education is not just about passing on information. It also creates space for prayer, reflection and encounter, linking classroom learning with the sacramental and communal life of the Church and (sometimes) the home. When this vision is realised, RE becomes the backbone of the Catholic school. When it is diluted or marginalised, Catholic identity quickly becomes fragile.

Too often RE is sidelined, handed to teachers who lack confidence in the faith or have adequate support and formation”

This is where the conversation becomes uncomfortable. In Catholic schools, the spotlight must turn inward. The greater challenge is not external criticism, but our own practice. Too often RE is sidelined, handed to teachers who lack confidence in the faith or have adequate support and formation, and is treated as a box to tick rather than the heart of the school’s mission.

Two things matter here. First, leadership. Catholic principals must make Religious Education a clear priority. It should shape the life of the school from primary to post-primary and never be treated as optional. Time, attention and resources must follow.

Support

Second, teachers need serious formation and sustained support. For many children, the Catholic school is the only place they will learn and experience the Catholic faith. However, too often, Religious Education is taught by well-intentioned but under-prepared staff. While many hold a Catholic Teachers’ Certificate, these courses represent a baseline, not deep formation. Those involved in teacher education increasingly report that many entrants arrive with little knowledge of the Catholic tradition at all.

RE can do what it is meant to do—shape Catholic schools, form thoughtful and grounded young people, and offer something distinctive to a society still searching for meaning”

Many are themselves products of a system in which RE was marginalised. The result is predictable, that is faith reduced to cultural ritual rather than lived understanding. No short course can repair that deficit. Weak formation produces weak teaching, and weak teaching forms another generation unable to engage seriously with faith. If that cycle is not broken, Religious Education will continue to struggle. If it is, RE can do what it is meant to do—shape Catholic schools, form thoughtful and grounded young people, and offer something distinctive to a society still searching for meaning.

If we fail to act, Religious Education will not simply fade. Catholic schools themselves will lose the heart that makes them Catholic.