Is RE compulsory at gcse level?

[fairyfuckwings]

The reason I ask is that my twins are just choosing their options for gsce now and I find it a bit disappointing really that they've had to drop subjects they love as they only have limited choices. At their school RE is compulsory. Every parent I've spoken to has felt that RE is a bit of a waste of of lesson. The choices my kids got were 2 of the following: art, geography, history, extra ict, drama, science (to make it triple) and business studies.

As an atheist I feel that the last 10 years the children have spent learning about the various fantasies people choose to participate in is enough. Personally, I think history is a far more relevant subject. Well anything other than Re really. My kids have no interest in this subject. I have no interest in it. And judging the lack of interest in the Re desk at the recent parents evening it would seem that none of the other parents give a toss either.

Is this a national thing? Or is it just my children's school?

I don't know exactly what happened, re the short corse. I got the feeling the exam board pulled it.

In DD1's case I prefer her having a chance at a B/C at long course because she isn't doing a MFL and another written GCSE will look good on her CV. I cant see her doing much revision as her Ranger group have also been doing a challenge that covers a lot of the same ethical ground.

Clearly the opposite is the case for DCs likely to get a clear run of A/A* who might not spend half their lives putting the world to rights and who will not appreciate the extra revision and the risk of a grotty B

Not compulsory in my DCs' school.

You can do a GCSE, you can do a half-GCSE, or you can opt out completely. You have to tick a box to say you wish to withdraw your child from RE.

DS is doing core PE instead.