Some schools in Wales are failing to provide the religious education they are obliged to

Martin Shipton

A major study has shown that while religious education in schools is compulsory, some schools in Wales are not providing it at all.

Academics from Bangor University and the National Centre of Religious Education for Wales have just published the largest national study of religion, values and ethics (RVE) provision in secondary schools undertaken since the introduction of the Curriculum for Wales.

Based on freedom of information (FOI) responses from 135 secondary schools across Wales, the findings raise a significant public interest question.

While RVE is mandatory in Wales, some schools are openly reporting that they do not provide it at all.

The research findings include:

• Some schools reported no mandatory RVE provision for certain year groups despite its statutory status. In North Wales, 12.8% of responding schools reported no mandatory provision in Year 10 and 17.9% reported none in Year 11.
• In South Wales, 3.4% reported no mandatory provision in Year 10 and 6.9% reported none in Year 11.
• Some schools reported delivering RVE in as little as 15 minutes per week, 15–20 minutes per fortnight or even 20 minutes per half-term.
• Specialist teaching declines sharply in Years 10 and 11, precisely when learners are engaging with some of society’s most complex ethical, philosophical and religious questions.

Dr Gareth Evans-Jones, a lecturer in philosophy and religion at Bangor University’s School of Arts and Humanities and co-director of the National Centre of Religious Education for Wales, said:

“What makes this story particularly interesting, I think, is that it isn’t about religion per se. It’s about whether a mandatory entitlement under the Curriculum for Wales has become so loosely defined that schools are effectively being left to decide for themselves what ‘mandatory’ means.

“Our report argues that a significant policy loophole has emerged. The Welsh Government made RVE mandatory, removed the parental right of withdrawal and positioned the subject as a key part of preparing young people for life in contemporary Wales. Yet there is currently no clear national benchmark for what meaningful provision looks like in practice.

“The result is extraordinary levels of variation: some learners receive a rigorous, specialist-led curriculum; others receive occasional tutor-time activities lasting a few minutes; and some appear to receive no identifiable provision at all.

“At a time when Wales is grappling with questions about educational standards, civic literacy, and social cohesion, this matters far beyond one curriculum area. Young people are navigating online hate speech, antisemitism, Islamophobia, misinformation, conspiracy theories, AI-generated content, polarisation and increasingly complex questions about identity, belief and belonging.

“Religious literacy, ethical reasoning and the ability to engage critically with different worldviews arguably matter more now than at any point in recent memory. However, our findings suggest the very curriculum area designed to support this is becoming increasingly uneven and, in some settings, almost invisible.

“To be absolutely clear, the purpose of the research is not to name and shame schools or teachers – not at all. Many schools are doing excellent work, often in challenging circumstances. Nor is it an argument against curriculum flexibility. Rather, it is a call for clearer guidance from the Welsh Government and Qualifications Wales. If a subject is mandatory, there needs to be greater clarity about what learners are actually entitled to receive. Otherwise, we risk reaching a position where the entitlement exists in legislation but not always in practice.”

Mandatory

A spokesperson for the Welsh Government said: “Religion, Values and Ethics (RVE) is a mandatory and important part of the Curriculum for Wales. It supports learners to develop their understanding of different religions, beliefs, and philosophical convictions, and to engage thoughtfully and critically with complex ethical issues. These skills are particularly important as young people navigate misinformation, online hate, polarisation and increasingly complex questions about identity, belief and belonging. We are considering the findings of this report carefully and will discuss them with relevant stakeholders as we continue to support effective delivery of RVE across Wales.”

The report, Religion, Values and Ethics in Wales: National Analysis of Secondary School Provision, says 195 secondary schools were contacted through the FOI exercise. Of those, 135 responded, giving an overall response rate of 69.2%.

Response rates by region were:

• North Wales: 39 of 53 (73.6%)
• Mid Wales: 9 of 16 (56.3%)
• South Wales: 87 of 126 (69.0%)