The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) was introduced in 2010 and is awarded to all students who achieve GCSEs at grades A*-C in English, Mathematics, Science, a Humanities subject and a Modern Foreign Language.

However, the list of recognised Humanities subjects does not currently include Religious Education.

In RE pupils have the opportunity to engage not only with the most profound metaphysical questions concerning human existence and the nature of reality, but also with the most pressing ethical problems of our day. RE itself is a broad based humanity, demanding knowledge and skills in history, textual criticism, anthropology, ethics, philosophy and theology. Thus it seems aptly suited to being part of any qualification which seeks to ensure that our pupils receive a genuinely broad education. A campaign has been set up to urge the government to ensure that RE be regarded as a humanity for the purposes of the English Baccalaureate.

You can find out more information on the Catholic Education Service for England and Wales website: http://www.cesew.org.uk/standard.asp?id=10326, where you will also find details of how to join the campaign, including how to contact your local MP and a suggested insert for parish newsletters. Our current focus is on encouraging MPs to sign Early Day Motion 1375, which supports the inclusion of RE in the English Baccalaureate.

The campaign is also on Twitter! Use the hashtag #EDM1375 to join the conversation about the Early Day Motion, or #EBacc to tweet about the English Baccalaureate in general.