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Original poster

School have made RS compulsory at GCSE.

100 replies

spongebunnyfatpants · 08/02/2023 19:58

Does anyone have any advice please or anyone been in this situation before.
We have received the options for our child's GCSE's next year. The school (an academy) has made Religious Studies complusary.
My son is gutted because it's not an option that he would have picked and it means that he loses out on one of his other options that he really wants to do.
I imagine that for many of the pupils it will be a waste of a GCSE.
I have looked on the internet and from what I can gather it says that schools can make a subject complusary, however it also says that parents can chose to opt out of RS at any stage in their child's education.
Obviously this is something I'll be contacting school about
Has anyone ever done this before at GCSE level and can you talk me through the process please.
Thank you.

OP posts:
xyzandabc · 08/02/2023 20:05

Is it a full gsce or short course GCSE?

I don't know if this is still the case but sometime ago, some form of RS was still compulsory until the end of yr11. Some schools took the view that if they had to deliver RS, then the students might as well get a qualification out of it (rather than it being delivered via assemblies or phse style). So all students take short course RS which is like half a GCSE. Those who actually want to choose it as an option can choose the full GCSE.

If it's short course it's not really wasting an option, it's just getting a certificate for something he'd have to do anyway.

If it's full course then he has my sympathy, it's rubbish having to study stuff you're not interested in. If it's any consolation, many of the RS specifications now contain a lot on relationships, ethics, philosophy, beliefs, not just religions, so might be more interesting than he thinks.

MrWhippersnapper · 08/02/2023 20:09

Why is it a waste ? Have you read the syllabus ?

MrWhippersnapper · 08/02/2023 20:09

Which exam board and which route - A or B ?

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jmh740 · 08/02/2023 20:09

Does it mean he loses out? At my children's school they do compulsory maths English literature and language and science then choose 3 more at the school I work in they do compulsory maths English literature and language science and rs then choose 3 so they do 1 more gcse in total

postwarbulge · 08/02/2023 20:13

@spongebunnyfatpants: Is this a Catholic school?

MrWhippersnapper · 08/02/2023 20:14

If it’s a Catholic school then it’ll be route B which is very different to route A

Iamnotthe1 · 08/02/2023 20:14

Some form of religious education has been compulsory up to the end of Y11 for decades now. It may just mean that they are turning it into a qualification rather than "just" a compulsory lesson.

You are able to withdraw your child from religious education at any point. However, the school is not obligated to provide an alternative lesson of your choosing so, even if you withdraw him, he will not necessarily be able to do another subject.

Original poster
spongebunnyfatpants · 08/02/2023 20:20

Thank you for all your replies.

It's not a Catholic or religious school of any sort.

From the information they've sent out, it appears to be a full GCSE.

I have read the syllabus and it's not of any use or interest to him, it's based on 3 religions that pupils have been studying in one form or another since primary school. There is no need for him to study these areas further.

This means he will lose out on one of his other choices that he is interested in and really wants to do.

OP posts:
perenniallymessy · 08/02/2023 20:21

At my DS's school they do the short course RS GCSE in Y10. It gives them practice at taking exams before they get to GCSEs. Seems sensible to me.

Amusingly DS is apparently already at a level 7 in it half way through Y9 so hopefully he should end up with a decent grade.

Schools have always made certain subjects compulsory- my year at school were the only ones who had to take DT. Wouldn't have been one of my choices. We also had to take either art, music or drama, none of which I would have chosen if I didn't have to.

Hercisback · 08/02/2023 20:24

In all likelihood it won't take an option away, instead he'll be getting a gcse for a class he would have to be in anyway. Our students have to do RE lessons. They don't have to do the exam. RE lessons are a waste of their time.

MrWhippersnapper · 08/02/2023 20:26

Which exam board ?
All GCSE RE courses study Christianity plus one other. If it’s not the Catholic option then you will also study Humanism. So you do not study 3 religions.
You will also study topics such as capital punishment, abortion, medical ethics, Human Rights etc. Modern RE is more similar to ethics, sociology and politics.
I’ve taught the subject for 26 years and been an examiner for Aqa, Edexcel and Eduqas.

GuyFawkesDay · 08/02/2023 20:26

Short course is legal compulsory part of GCSEs.

It may well not be examined though.

MrWhippersnapper · 08/02/2023 20:27

Which exam board and which syllabus ?

Original poster
spongebunnyfatpants · 08/02/2023 20:29

Sorry it's 2 religions not 3.

School have made RS compulsory at GCSE.
OP posts:
MrWhippersnapper · 08/02/2023 20:32

I teach Eduqas, you’ve missed off 3.Good and Evil and 4.Human Rights on Paper 1.

TulipCat · 08/02/2023 20:32

It is compulsory at my DS's school. They still get a good set of optional subjects though : Maths, 2x English, RE and 2x Science are compulsory and then they choose 4 more. That seems fine to me.

MrWhippersnapper · 08/02/2023 20:34

Starting Human rights tomorrow, we’re looking at the right to privacy and whether we have it in today’s world, going to talk about such things as whether our devices listen to us and how many cameras our image is caught on every day, leading to a discussion on whether it’s possible to have privacy today.

Original poster
spongebunnyfatpants · 08/02/2023 20:35

@MrWhippersnapper I've not missed anything off, this is what the school have sent out.

OP posts:
MrWhippersnapper · 08/02/2023 20:36

They’ve missed it off then, there are 4 topics on paper 1, 30 mins for each section in a 2 hour exam

MrWhippersnapper · 08/02/2023 20:37

Plus it says 4 themes when they’ve only listed 2

TwigTheWonderKid · 08/02/2023 20:38

It's not just the study of two religions though. It's also about ethics, human rights and much more. I think it's an excellent area for young people to discover and a real preparation for life.

Tumbleweeder · 08/02/2023 20:39

Regardless of the ‘forcing religion’ aspect I don’t understand why any schools have fixed options other than maths, English and maybe a MFL. I can see it might help timetabling but kids shouldn’t be restricted more than the absolute necessary and RE seems a rather odd choice if you are going to make more than the obvious ones compulsory.
What about home ec, science or IT ? All could arguably be more useful.

Have school asked or offered feedback or is it a done deal?

MrWhippersnapper · 08/02/2023 20:40

No one ‘forces religion’ in a secular school, what a load of shite

MrWhippersnapper · 08/02/2023 20:42

And op you clearly haven’t read the syllabus or you would know that there were 4 topics on Paper 1, not 2.