If you are involved with RE teaching in Suffolk you’ll know about the new RE syllabus that was launched at Endeavour House yesterday.

Now that Humanism is officially included in the syllabus, we must provide teachers with the resources to teach it. RE is often taught by non-specialists and teams that change from term to term. Teachers who are new to Humanism will find it especially difficult to work out how to approach the subject. One teacher has already told me that he has difficulty with including Humanism in the syllabus because “you don’t have festivals and rituals, like the religions do.”

The BHA provides resources for teachers but a lot of it is unsuitable for younger children, or relies on RE teachers having the time to extract what they need. Schools would welcome accessible audio-visual resources, perhaps on a new web site. One Suffolk primary school has already done something like this to enable the children to learn about Judaism.

As a co-opted member of Suffolk’s Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE), I’ve been asked to help the county RE advisor and an academic who’s interested in syllabus development with providing teachers with guidance. If there are any teachers in primary, middle or high schools who are Humanists, atheists or agnostics, and who would like to talk to me, please get in touch. I’d appreciate even a brief chat, particularly if you’re a parent too.

Margaret Nelson