04/07/2026
UNITED SIKHS Welcomes UK Government Consultation on Religious Education in the National Curriculum
London, July 4 — UNITED SIKHS, a long-standing member of the Religious Education Council of England and Wales (REC) since 2008, has welcomed the announcement by the Secretary of State for Education that a public consultation on the future content of the national curriculum, including Religious Education (RE), will open in September.
UNITED SIKHS was proud to serve as a member of the RE Task and Finish Group, which brought together education professionals alongside representatives of religious and non-religious organisations from across England to develop the Proposed Programmes of Study and national standards for RE now being put forward.
This landmark framework will, for the first time, provide a nationally consistent approach to RE, ensuring every pupil, from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 4, studies religious and non-religious traditions with academic rigour and depth, while respecting the distinct legal frameworks governing different categories of school.
Mejindarpal Kaur, Chair of UNITED SIKHS in the UK and its International Legal Director, said:
"This is a truly historic moment for Religious Education in England. As a member of the RE Council since 2008, UNITED SIKHS has long championed the importance of ensuring every child has access to high-quality, academically rigorous RE that reflects the rich diversity of religious and non-religious belief in this country. Religious Education is not a peripheral subject. It builds understanding, challenges prejudice, and equips young people to live and work in a diverse society. Placing RE on an equal footing with other subjects in the National Curriculum, and ending the postcode lottery of provision, is something UNITED SIKHS has advocated for many years. We commend the Secretary of State, the RE Council, and all organisations, religious and non-religious alike, who worked together to reach this unprecedented consensus, and we look forward to contributing fully to the consultation this September."
Sarah Lane Cawte, Chair of the Religious Education Council of England and Wales, said: “I welcome the Secretary of State’s recognition of the unprecedented consensus across religious and non-religious communities, educators and professional bodies. A National Curriculum for RE will ensure every child, in every school, receives their entitlement to high quality religious education – in both religious and non-religious traditions – that is academically rigorous and personally inspiring.”
UNITED SIKHS will continue working with the REC and its partner organisations to ensure the voice and traditions of the Sikh community are reflected in the final Programmes of Study, and encourages its members, schools, and the wider public to participate in the consultation when it opens.
Mejindarpal Kaur
Chair and International Legal Director
UNITED SIKHS
[email protected]
07709830442
