Teachers from across England will be better equipped to teach humanism in their classrooms after Humanists UK held a conference for 80 teachers in London yesterday.
Humanists UK’s Understanding Humanism Teachers Conference was held at Conway Hall yesterday to broaden teachers’ subject knowledge about humanism and provide them with ideas and resources for the classroom.
Professors Richard Norman and Michael Hand delivered keynotes on ‘Humanism and Human Flourishing’ and on ‘Rational Moral Education’. The conference also included practical seminars delivered by primary and secondary school teachers, including Lisa O’Connor (National Association of Teachers of RE Executive), Angela Hill (RE Today) and Jason Buckley (The Philosophy Man). There were also talks on relationships and sex education and apostasy.
Humanists UK, which has held the event for the past three years, said it was a great opportunity for teachers to find out more about the importance of non-religious worldviews in the classroom so that it can enhance pupils’ knowledge and understanding in the context of world events, ethics, philosophy, and more.
Over the past few years there has been a significant increase in demand from teachers for support with teaching about humanism. The Understanding Humanism Teachers Conference is just one of the ways Humanists UK supports teachers to deliver high-quality, inclusive education about religion and worldviews. Humanists UK’s resources are downloaded tens of thousands of times each year and their network of school speakers speak to tens of thousands of students.
Humanists UK Director of Understanding Humanism Luke Donnellan commented: ‘It is always a pleasure to meet so many educators who acknowledge the need for religious education to be inclusive of teaching about humanism. We are enormously grateful to all those teachers whose hard work supports young people to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the world in the 21st century and the confidence to make up their own minds about what to believe.’
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For further information, please contact Humanists UK Director of Understanding Humanism Luke Donnellan on education@humanists.uk or on 020 73243070.
About Understanding Humanism
Understanding Humanism is Humanists UK’s education service. It aims to introduce young people to humanism as a non-religious approach to life which can be studied as an example of a ‘non-religious worldview’. It provides teachers with the resources necessary to teach accurate, high-quality lessons about humanism, and assists them with the development of their own subject knowledge. The Understanding Humanism website offers lesson plans and activities, as well as free school speakers who can work with teachers to broaden students’ understanding. Visit Understanding Humanism at understandinghumanists.uk.
Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 85,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.