An evaluation of the Catholic response to the Final Report from the Commission on Religious Education

The Commission on Religious Education’s Final Report, Religion and Worldviews: The Way Forward, a national plan for RE (https://www.commissiononre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Final-Report-of-the-Commission-on-RE.pdf, 2018), has been given a mixed reception by advocates and leaders of Catholic education in England and Wales. The reasons why such a significant education provider might take a hesitant stance to the findings of the Commission on Religious Education is deeply intriguing and stands in need of careful scrutiny. After presenting a brief summary of both the importance and content of the Final Report, a summary of the Catholic response to it will be presented. Then this paper will offer an analysis and some likely explanations for the form and content of this response. Finally, it will be argued that on theological and ethical grounds a far more positive and detailed response could have been offered to the Final Report in order to help bring about the much needed recommendations that the Commission on Religious Education called for.