In his article ‘The Religious Dimension of the Education Reform Act 1988’ (Ecclesiastical Law Journal No. 5, July 1989, pp 32–52), J. D. C. Harte has provided a helpful summary of the new legal framework in the context of the legal history. His interpretation of the implications of the legislation for the theory and practice of religious education in the schools is less satisfactory, and the theological assumptions of his article are at least questionable. It is thus as a religious educator and (if you like) a theologian specialising in educational problems that I would like to respond. In order to appreciate the exposition of Mr Harte, it will be necessary first to have some insight into the history and recent developments of religious education.
Religious Education and Personal and Social Education after the 1988 Education Reform Act in England
