Gervase Phinn, Teacher, author and speaker
 I taught RE for 15 years and it is the most demanding of all curriculum subjects, but also the most exciting because you’re using pupils' own views and opinions for learning about what really matters in life.
Of course RE lessons – the same as all religions - are about the power of story. Storytelling goes across the religions. The importance of narrative in all religions is vital. The very point of education is growth, says Plato - it’s ‘to make good men and good women act nobly.’ Teachers carry a massive responsibility shared with rabbis, imams and religious teachers from all faiths because you can change a child’s life, heal or hurt, inspire or disparage. You all want for your own children, if you have them, the best teachers. In RE lessons, the power of story to move you to compassion and care sits alongside powerful arguments about euthanasia, abortion or life after death. The point is that RE is a subject where relationships are a bit different because you’re not just imparting knowledge but talking about the nature of God.
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