07 February 2013
The Rev Jan Ainsworth the Church of England's Chief Education
Officer said: "We welcome today's announcement and will await more
details of what it will mean for our schools. Our concerns about
the Government's Ebacc plans have always focused on the downgrading
of Religious Education as a core subject. In modern society
understanding and learning about faith has never been more
important for both civic discourse and cultural enrichment, and we
eagerly await the findings of the All Party Parliament Group on RE
to be published next month. Church schools have always followed the
national curriculum, providing an inclusive education with a
distinctive Christian ethos, with a commitment to the
disadvantaged. We hope that Mr Gove's plans will be for the
good of all pupils, not just the academically gifted."