Denise Cush - Professor of Religion and Education, Bath Spa University, Chair of the Association of University Lecturers in Religion and Education (AULRE)
 Religious education is a vital component of any young person’s education in a world where we are ever more aware of the need for human beings to live in peace together, sharing the resources of one planet, in spite of our diverse beliefs, values and customs. Religious education enables students to explore and understand a wide variety of ways of life, both religious and non-religious.
It also provides space for students to reflect on their own beliefs, values and lifestyle, appreciating and evaluating their traditions and heritage, and developing their own perspectives. In addition, religious education applies the insights of religious and non-religious philosophies to the major ethical issues facing the human race, and develops a wide range of useful skills from discussing controversial issues with fairness and respect to appreciating the artefacts of other cultures.
It is still often not fully appreciated that over the last 40 years in Britain we have developed a multi-faith, non-confessional religious education that meets the needs of all students whether religious or not, and is looked to as an example by other countries around the world.
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