Foreword
| Welcome to the 2007 Birmingham Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education. This syllabus was created, over a two year period, by a group of approximately fifty people from various backgrounds. As members of faith communities, teachers and locally elected representatives, we brought to the process our religious convictions, teaching skills and political responsibilities. The membership of this group is detailed here. The City Council, in adopting the syllabus on behalf of the citizens of Birmingham, enables teachers to offer to pupils the key values that have been treasured by all religious traditions. These values, which are shared by many who have no religious convictions, have shaped Birmingham’s past and contribute to its present. The City’s future well-being will depend on them. From September 2008 the Syllabus is required teaching in all Birmingham Schools. It is our confident expectation that pupils will benefit from the deep insights that religions provide into the reality of human life and contemporary society. This syllabus makes these insights easily accessible to pupils, teachers, faith communities and others who contribute to the education of young people. The syllabus can be found on on this web site. Advising the City Council on further development work on religious education is now the responsibility of the Birmingham Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE). SACRE works in close partnership with the City Council and, in particular, with the Directorate of Children, Young People and Families and its School Effectiveness Division. This partnership ensures schools will receive the appropriate resources, advice, and support to enable them to implement this challenging, innovative and inspirational syllabus. Families, faith communities, teachers and all citizens have representatives on SACRE. You can find details of your representative at www.birmingham-asc.org.uk/sacre. Please contact them for help on 0121 303 8080.
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