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We engage in a wide range of activities relating to education in Greater Manchester and surrounding areas:
Last year we made 36 visits to primary schools, secondary schools and colleges in Greater Manchester and the North West to teach Humanism as part of Religious Education lessons and whole-day PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) programmes on topical issues.
We have spoken to over 4,000 young people in assemblies and follow-up lessons where we show videos, respond to questions and engage children and students in a variety of activities. This represents over a quarter of the work done nationally.
We have a team of 15 trained and experienced volunteer speakers, and are often invited back to make repeat presentations.
RE is a statutory requirement in all schools, but not part of the National Curriculum. The syllabuses in each Local Authority are written by their Standing Councils for Religious Education (SACREs) which also oversee their implementation.
A number of members of Greater Manchester Humanists are representatives on several of the Greater Manchester SACREs.
All our Humanist SACRE reps will use their influence to encourage teachers to make the best use of opportunities to strengthen the beliefs and values of young people without religious faith, and help build community cohesion. Fortunately, we know that an increasing number of teachers at all age levels are looking for ways of incorporating Humanist perspectives into their existing teaching on the same terms as for faith traditions.
We are working with Humanists UK to gain representation in all 10 LEAs so that non-religious parents would then have someone to represent their children’s needs and influence the RE syllabus review. Details of what is involved are available from secretary@gmh.humanist.org.uk
Many Local Authority schools are becoming Academies with freedom to interpret the National Curriculum in their own way. They do not have to follow their Local Agreed Syllabus. However, many Manchester schools will continue to do so because of its professional quality.
But Faith schools (and this includes many Roman Catholic Schools) are very unlikely to teach either the ‘multi-faith’ education that is in the SACRE syllabuses, or Humanist perspectives.
Our members have lent their support to local and national campaigns that oppose faith selection in state schools. We believe it to be a major injustice that many publicly funded schools discriminate against children whose parents share the wrong or no religious belief.
In some areas, for example Oldham, this means that the town's best performing secondary schools are effectively closed to a large percentage of local children.
