The British Humanist Association (BHA) held a training course in Cambridge for Humanist School Volunteers this weekend as part of its major initiative to provide support to teachers to improve lessons about Humanism in schools.
23 humanist volunteers undertook the training to work with teachers at the planning stages of lessons so that pupils and students can consider humanist perspectives to life’s big questions as part of a fair and balanced curriculum. The BHA has over 50 trained volunteers across England ready to work with teachers.
This programme is timely as more teachers are delivering lessons on Humanism for the first time following the publication of the Religious Education Council of England and Wales’ A Review of Religious Education in England, which includes a non-statutory National Curriculum Framework for RE that puts the teaching of Humanism firmly alongside that of the major religions. The report was endorsed by the Secretary of State for Education and is seen as an important step towards ensuring that RE is fully inclusive, reflects the full range of beliefs in the local community, and is relevant to the lives of young people.
Sara Passmore, Head of Education and Promotion at the BHA, said: ‘The 2011 census showed that the number of people declaring ‘no religion’ is increasing rapidly. The British Humanist Association’s trained school volunteers are able to help ensure that all young people experience values-education that reflects the broad range of beliefs in our local community, including non-religious beliefs and values.’
‘It is vital that all young people are able engage with provoking and challenging questions about meaning and purpose in life, beliefs about God, ultimate reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human as part of Religious Education. Trained humanist school volunteers can help teachers to engage with what can be a difficult subject and enable us to provide much needed support, advice, and guidance.’
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For further comment or information contact Sara Passmore, Head of Education, by email at sara@humanists.uk or by telephone on 07795412765.
The training course was hosted by local humanist groups Cambridgeshire Humanists, Essex Humanists, Suffolk Humanists, and Norfolk Humanists.
Further details about this project can be found at humanists.uk/
Schools can request volunteers at humanists.uk/
Read more about the BHA’s campaigns work on ‘faith’ schools: http://humanists.uk/
The British Humanist Association is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people who seek to live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity. It promotes a secular state and equal treatment in law and policy of everyone, regardless of religion or belief.